While The Fire Burns
by malfoy-anonymous
Summary: Hermione can't help but notice Draco has been acting a little curiously lately, and will soon find out that Draco is not who he seems to be. Pushed together by fate, desperation, and the oncoming war, Hermione and Draco find solace in each other. For now.
1. Chapter 1

**Please read and review! This chapter is mostly an introduction, but just warning there's some mild smut and violence later on! I'm really trying to capture the essence of the characters from the books in this story, so tell me how I'm doing. Also, this story takes place during sixth year. I'm going to try to follow the storyline of the book, but some of the events may not be in order. Enjoy!**

**xxxx,**

**Malfoy-Anonymous**

**Chapter 1**

The tall brunette clutches her books tighter to her chest as she slinks down the hallway. She hears footsteps and immediately melts into the shadows with ease, only relaxing her harsh stance once the footsteps fade. She continues on her way, making no noise, until she reaches the large oak doors. She pauses for a second, inhaling the musky, woodsy smell of books, before pushing the doors open.

She smiles contentedly as she drops her book bag on the table furthest away from the doors and runs her fingers along the spines of the books on the shelves. She is a bit nervous about being in the restricted section after dark without the invisibility cloak to shield her, but Madam Pince said the wards would be lowered, and she trusts the Professor.

Her fingers linger on a thick, leather bound book and she grins before pulling it off the shelf. Perfect. She takes a seat at the table and cracks the book open, crinkling her nose when the dust tickles it. With a sigh, she lowers her nose and begins to lose herself in the text.

...

The lanky blonde boy struts down the hall. His confidence is wasted on the empty hallway, but it is not something that can be turned off. Despite his ragged appearance- his hair is slightly limp and scraggly, his skin is pale and shallow and his clothes are slightly rumpled as if he had just climbed out of bed- he is intimidating. He meets no one on his way besides a house elf, which immediately disappears with a snap of its fingers after one look at the boy's menacing expression.

The boy approaches the oak doors with a smirk on his face. Perfect. He opens the door slowly and peers in to make sure Madame Pince, the old bat, isn't there. His smirk broadens when he realises the library is empty. He strides in and immediately takes to a bookshelf, sliding the books to the side with practiced ease, reaching in and pulling out a little velvet pouch. He plops down at the table and shakes the pouch. A small metal object falls out and hits the table with a clink. His smirk is replaced with a concentrated expression as he lights a lamp and begins examining the object.

...

Further in the library, the girl closes the book she is pouring over with a huff and sets it back on the shelf with a defeated expression. It was of no help whatsoever. She absentmindedly begins strolling between the shelves, fingering a book here and there and pulling out a few, adding them to the growing pile cradled in her arms.

She turns a corner and stops short. Seated at a table is a familiar boy, hunched over something she can't see. His pale hair glints in the lamp light. He hasn't noticed her.

She should leave before he sees her, she really should. Just turn around and go back to her table until he leaves and then slip out of the library unseen. But she is hypnotised. What is he doing here this late at night? He's not even reading a book. She takes a cautious step forward and cranes her neck to peer over his shoulder, catching a hint of something silver before it is snatched away and thrust into a little velvet pouch.

The boy turns around and snarls.

"Anyone ever tell you to mind your own _fucking_business, Granger?" he spits, fury in his eyes. Hermione presses her lips into a thin line and draws herself up to full height.

"Anyone ever tell you the library is off limits after midnight, _Malfoy_?" she throws back. He takes the little pouch and shoves it into his pocket, eyes blazing.

"I would ask you what you're doing here, Mudblood, but I don't really care." He stands up too and towers over her. "And I don't give a damn about the rules." She opens her mouth to retort, but he cuts her off.

"It doesn't matter, I'm going," he begins walking towards the door. "And by the way, Granger? I'd be careful with that book." With a flick of his wand, a book in her arms changes into a hissing green snake. She screams and drops the whole pile, scrambling to reach the wand in her pocket. Draco laughs cruelly and strides out. The slam of the door echoes around the vast library. Hermione transfigures the snake back into a book with ease before sitting up and cradling her knees to her chest. Her heart is beating wildly with adrenaline and surprise, and she lets it slow down before beginning to put the scattered books back into a neat pile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Please read and review!**

**I've noticed in most fanfics Draco is this big, strong character and Hermione is weak and lenient, so in this chapter I tried to make her a little stronger and fierce. **

**xxxx,**

**Malfoy-Anonymous**

**Chapter 2**

"Hermione, wake up. Goodness gracious, girl, you're drooling all over the book. Wake up!" Hermione grumbles and lifts her head off the inky page. She opens her crusty eyes and sees Madam Pince looking down at her with a stern look on her face.

"Now looky here young lady. I gave you permission to come into my library after hours, and you can't even clean up your mess? Goodness gracious."

Hermione looks around and realizes she indeed forget to tidy her mess. After researching late into the night, she must have fallen asleep on one of the books. She apologizes to the librarian and sets about cleaning up, placing the books back in their appropriate shelves and dusting off her jeans. One glance at the clock tells her she doesn't have enough time to change into new clothing if she wants to make breakfast, so she hitches her book bag over her shoulder and sets out to the Great Hall.

Once there she is greeted with the delicious smells of toasted bread and fried eggs and the loud mess of voices and clanging silver that she has come to love. She heads to the Gryffindor table and takes her seat next to Ron and Harry. Ron smiles and Harry looks relieved.

"Where were you last night Hermione? We were worried, thought maybe you lost on your way to the library," Harry says with a wink. The dark haired boy had really changed over the past few years, and while he started out as a small, skinny little thing he had grown to be quite a dashing young man, tall and built with bright green eyes and a fringe of black hair. Hermione has to stifle a laugh when she sees Ginny, Ron's younger sister, staring at an unsuspecting Harry with dreamy eyes. Though she had repetitively assured Hermione she was over her little crush on Harry, Hermione knew better. If anything, it has gotten worse, though being pretty and popular amongst the boys, Hermione was sure Ginny would have no problem catching Harry. Her thoughts are confirmed when she sees Harry catch Ginny's eye and give her a lopsided grin.

"Fall asleep with your nose in a book again?" Ron teased through a mouthful of egg. Grimacing slightly at the grotesque slight, Hermione gave a sheepish nod, and Harry and Ron laughed. If Harry had gotten better looking with time, Ron was the opposite. The red head had gone from being an adorable button nosed tween to a lanky, scrawny teenager. His hair flopped over his forehead and tickled his shoulders, elongating his freckled face. His eyes were a little squinty and his mouth was thin, curved into a permanent light smile. He was a good friend, but Hermione still couldn't see what the Patil twins obviously saw in him. She blamed them for her insomnia- what with their late night conversations about his eyes and explicit fantasies involving him and one or both of them, it was becoming increasingly difficult to get a wink of sleep.

"Okay, okay, you caught me, I fell asleep with my nose in a book," she laughs lightly and begins piling potatoes onto her plate. "You should feel bad for me- imagine being woken by Madam Pince!" Harry and Ron laugh. She opens her mouth to tell them about the curious incident with Malfoy, but shuts it suddenly when she sees him across the room.

Watching her.

He is seated at the Slytherin table as always, but his eyes are unmistakably watching her despite the Hufflepuff table between them. His stare is harsh and cruel, filled with disgust- not anything she hasn't seen from him before. But for some reason, it shuts her up. She wretches her gaze away from him and turns back to the boys, trying to ignore his eyes boring into the back of her head.

"How did it go with Dumbledore?" she asks in a low voice.

"Fine- he didn't use the Pensieve this time though. He just talked about the thing with Slughorn and asked about my dreams. Nothing unusual." Hermione nods and turns back to her food. When she looks up again Draco's back is turned to her, and she can't help but wonder again what it was he was doing in the library last night.

...

Draco's lips curve into a smirk when he sees Granger enter the Great Hall, wearing the same thing as the night before, though he can't help noticing her blouse is uncharacteristically rumpled. What did she do, fall asleep in the library amongst her precious books?

She takes a seat at the Gryffindor next to the other members of the Trio. She is talking to them but her eyes are flitting all over the Hall. He is hit with a sudden thought- what if she tells them about their little episode in the library last night? It is not in the nature of Potter to mind his own business, and before he knows it he'll have the bloody Boy Who Lived on his tail. One more thing to worry about.

He realizes he had been watching Granger without realizing it, and suddenly he finds himself looking into her brown eyes from across the hall. Her eyebrow twitches curiously as she looks into his eyes. What the fuck was she doing? Despite his confusion he keeps her gaze, refusing to be the first to step down, and she soon looks away and turns back to Potter.

Oh yes, this was bad. She is probably spilling the beans to that old wanker right now. He turns back to his food, wondering what the hell to do.

He is twirling his fork lazily through his scrambled eggs when his thinking is interrupting by someone sitting down next to him. He looks over and sees Pansy, her face is dangerously close to his.

"Hello handsome," she whispers, giving his lip an affectionate nip. Draco smiles and growls slightly, pulling her in for a deep kiss. He can hear the uncomfortable rumbles around him and he smiles inwardly at the attention, knowing everyone's envious eyes are on him as he woos the prettiest Slytherin girl.

The catch of the lot.

Only the best for him.

...

After breakfast, Harry, Ron and Hermione make their way down to Dark Arts with Seamus, Neville and Dean. Uncomfortably aware that she is surrounded by a group of boys, Hermione blocks out their conversation about Quidditch and begins reviewing the essay on Grindylows that's due. She knows Snape won't appreciate the extra few inches she wrote- in fact, he is known to sometimes takes marks off if it is too long- but she couldn't help herself from going overboard on the fascinating subject.

She looks up only when she enters the Dark Arts classroom, taking her customary seat between Harry and Ron. She begins to unpack her Dark Arts supplies. When she hears the swish of robes she jerks up, sitting up straight in her chair and clasping her hands in front of her. She watches Snape as he enters the room, his robes fluttering about his ankles and attempts to ignore the taunting Slytherin giggles behind her.

With a swish of his wand, seventy three essays fly out of purses and pockets and land in a pile on his desk. Looking at them dismissively, Snape shoves his wand back into the pocket of his robes and begins a lesson on Kelpies.

Hermione listens attentively, taking careful notes, though it is hard to concentrate with Harry and Ron whispering beside her and occasionally asking her opinion on some mundane topic like Italian ice cream.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, could you tell me what I just said?" Snape's voice floats over to their table. Harry and Ron shoot alarmed looks at each other.

"Well, you were saying… um… Kelpies are shape shifters…" Ron stutters, glancing at Hermione's notes. Hermione cringes inwardly and waits for Snape to say something. "And they um.. live in the water… I think…"

"After class, both of you will be staying to help me clean the classroom," Snape says nonchalantly. "And ten points from Gryffindor. And Ms. Granger, I do not like how you let Mr. Weasley cheat off of you. Another ten points from Gryffindor." Hermione feels her temper flare up at the unfair punishment, but she clenches her fist and breathes out slowly. She looks to her right and sees Ron's ears are growing red, and she immediately clasps his hand to calm him down. Ron looks at her with wide eyes before calming down, and she pats his hand reassuringly before turning back to her notes.

The rest of the Dark Arts class passes sluggishly slow, and when it's finally over Hermione wishes the boys luck with their detention before rushing out of the classroom. Halfway through the class she had remembered a point she forgot in her transfiguration essay, and she wanted to get back to the dorm and add it before she forgot.

Halfway to the dorm she is slammed against the wall and muffled. A hand is clamped over her eyes and her arm. She is moved easily despite her thrashing, and she can hear her heart beating wildly with fear. She is pulled into a secluded hallway.

Finally she is released, and instead pinned up against the wall. She finds herself staring straight into Draco Malfoy's cool gray eyes, his wand pressed to her throat.

"Malfoy, _what the hell-"_

"Shut up, mudblood." He silences her. "What did you tell them?" He presses his wand a little harder against her throat and she swallows nervously.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she spits, uncomfortably aware of her wand tucked safely into her backpack. Malfoy has the obvious advantage here.

"About the library? What did you tell Potty and Weasel?"

"Nothing! Merlin, you're insane! _Let me go!" _she turns her head to the side slightly and clamps her jaw down on Malfoy's wrist, taking him by surprise. He reflexively yanks his hand away, and Hermione darts to her bag and whips her wand out. She fires a hex at him and his legs are instantly stuck together.

"You are fucking _insane, _you know that?" She spits at him and he glares at her. He reaches for his wand but she glues his arms to his sides with a flick of her wand.

"You told them _nothing?" _Draco says incredulously. "Well, well, the mudblood finally learns to keep her little mouth shut."

"I don't know why this is so important, but if half strangling me and pulling me into secluded halls becomes a habit of yours, I _will _tell them everything," Hermione picks up her bag and turns to go, but rethinks it and turns around, snatching Draco's bag too. Draco's eyes widen.

"Maybe now you'll learn your lesson, Malfoy," Hermione tucks his bag under his arm. "Us mudbloods are _feisty." _She winks at him and scurries away, chuckling to herself.

She got him, the insane little prat. Whatever is in this bag, he doesn't want her to know about.

Now she could learn what he was doing in the library.


	3. Chapter 3

**Read and review!**

**Chapter 3**

The fury, it burns.

That _bitch. _Mudblood. Filth. _Crazy, insane._

Words cannot describe how he feels about her.

She _stole _his _bag._His _fucking _bag. She might as well have stolen his soul. He keeps everything in there, everything he can't leave in the dorm room for fear of Crabbe or Goyle finding it. That confrontation definitely didn't go as planned, and he was as mad at himself as he was at her. He had brought it on himself, he knew that, but it was so much easier to blame that _bitch. Mudblood._

Not only that, but it was humiliating to lie in that corridor, frozen and waiting. His wand was infuriatingly just out of reach of his hand, not that he could have moved his fingers to grip it. Eventually he was found by Professor Sprout, who gave him a sad smile before removing the hexes and shooing him away. He was thankful she hadn't asked any questions, but the sad smile only made him angrier, coming from the short fat Herbology professor he had never had much respect for. Herbology was a rather dull and easy subject, and he figured that was why that slug Longbottom had taken such a liking to it. It suited him well.

He sat seething on his bed for a good hour, looking at the dent in the wall where he had punched it in a fit of rage. Right this second she could be going through his bag, finding the tell-tale objects. He had no doubt she would recognize them immediately, and he would be discovered. There was only one thing he could do.

Steal it back.

And after that… well, Granger was going to pay.

...

The common room is bustling as usual, but Hermione manages to slip unnoticed into her thankfully empty dorm room. She sets both backpacks on the bed and stands back to admire her work. Her chest fills with pride at her comeback to that sleaze- what the fuck was he doing, capturing her and demanding her to answer him? The creep. He deserved to be petrified.

And now she has his bag and can, hopefully, find out what his mysterious behaviour is all about. But first, she is itching to take off her clothes from yesterday, which are salty with sweat and clinging to her skin uncomfortably.

Even after peeling off her blouse and jeans, Hermione can't shake the itchy feeling from her skin, so she steps into the bathroom and begins to run the water. Though she is a prefect and therefore has access to the all-mighty prefect's bathroom, she much prefers the cosy shower in her dorm room. That was, when the Patils aren't hogging it.

While waiting for the water to heat up, Hermione examines herself in the full length mirror. Though she has her normal teenage insecurities, she has to admit she looks pretty good. Her occasional trip to the gym had paid off, and she was lean and fit. Her breasts had come in nice and round, and though there was nothing she could do about her hair (the thing had a mind of its own) she liked to think it framed her face nicely. Her stomach and legs were toned, and her arms were soft and slender.

She tests the water before stepping under the steaming spray and relaxing her muscles, letting the water run down her face and over her stomach. Massaging her skin with lavender soap, everything was forgotten, if just for that second. A groan escapes her mouth as the water tangles in her hair, pulling it out and back from her face.

But all too soon reality came back, and as much as she wanted to stay wrapped in the steamy cocoon forever she had to get out now if she wanted to look through Draco's bag without the Patil twins bugging her. She quickly dries herself with a fluffy blue towel and throws on a pair of jeans and a white tank top. She rubs a curl defining cream through her hair and, once satisfied that it is as tamed as it's ever going to get, she plops down on the bed and drags the bag towards her.

She takes a deep breath before plunging in.

On top are the essentials- a package of quills, scrolls of parchment with scribbled words on them, a bag of chocolate frogs that is half empty. She throws all the stuff on the bed and thrusts a hand in again.

She feels something hard and dusty, and she gasps when she pulls out the familiar item.

It is a book, a very old grimy black journal. She doesn't have to open it to know the pages are empty. Right in the centre of the book is a gaping black hole, and the rest of the cover is stained with a substance that looks curiously like blood.

It's Tom Riddles diary.

Hermione gapes at it for a few minutes, too stunned to even wonder what Draco is doing with it in his bag. She sets it down carefully on her covers and reaches in again. She searches for a few minutes before her hand touches something soft, and she already knows what it is before she pulls it out.

A small velvet pouch lands beside her on the bed.

With trembling fingers, she pulls the strings and opens it. She turns it upside down and shakes it a few times before a shiny metal object falls onto her bed. She picks it up and realises it's a ring with a glittery yellow stone in the centre. Almost immediately, the ring heats up and scalds her fingertips, causing her to drop it on her bedspread with a yelp.

She looks at the objects through narrowed eyes. Curious, very curious. If these are what she thinks they are, then Draco Malfoy is not who she thinks he is.

Not at all.

...

Draco slipped into bed and lay still, trying to slow his breathing. For once he was happy for Crabbe and Goyle's late night bickering- he couldn't let himself fall asleep if he wanted to sneak out. He held his breath as Crabbe and Goyle clambered into their respective beds, never pausing their argument about whether the pie for dessert had been peach or apple. He waited patiently as the conversation petered out and was replaced by heavy snoring, and he waited longer until they were too deep in sleep to even snore.

Only then did he move. Slowly, slowly, carefully, he rose from his bed and slipped out the door. He crossed the empty common room and into the hall, where he resumed a strut. The trick to sneaking out at night wasn't to sneak around- you had to walk like you were supposed to be there, and people believed you were. Sure, sometimes he got caught and it was bad- but it's even worse if you seem like your sneaking around behind the Professors' backs. One thing they can't stand is being tricked.

He found his way to the portrait of the fat lady easily and whispered the password he had overhead earlier that morning to the grumpy and suspicious painting. She opened for him hesitantly, and as soon as he stepped through he waved his wand and muttered a handy spell that erased her memory of the past few minutes.

He had never been in the Gryffindor common room and it was, as much as he hated to admit it, quite cosy, though he felt like he was drowning in a sea of gold and red. It was, thank Merlin, empty, but the couches still bore dents were people had sat and the tables had fresh ink splatters. It was different from the cold and harsh tile floors and stone walls of the Slytherin common room. Nevertheless, he made sure he didn't touch any furniture as he approached the two staircases in case the filthy mudblood had touched it. He didn't want to get _infected._

He tiptoed up the staircase labelled _girls,_and let out a surprised yelp when the staircase transformed into a slide and sent him tumbling back down. Grumbling, he did a quick petrifying spell on the staircase (he had found out that summer that the useful spell not only worked on humans but inanimate objects too) and resumed his tiptoeing.

He peered into the first room and was met by the sound of snoring. The cloaked figures in the bed looked much too small to be six years, so he continued on his way, poking his head into each dorm and feeling more and more like a peeping tom and less and less like a man with a mission. When he accidentally caught a glimpse of the Weasley girl sleeping nude, he was just about ready to give up.

He peered into the next room on the staircase and grinned.

In a bunkbed pushed against the wall, he could just make out two snoring figures. He couldn't tell who they were, though by the dark hair he guessed either the Patil twins, Angelina Johnson or Romilda Vain. But it was not them that interested him, whoever they were. On the far bed, splayed against a pillow, was a very familiar mess of chocolate curls. And under her bed he could just see the handle of his bag.

For being the brightest witch of her age, she really was a bit dim-witted.

Painfully slowly, he makes his way across the room, wincing when the floorboards creak. He bends down and clasps his bag by the handle, dragging it from under the bed and then throwing it over his shoulder in one fluid motion. He is about to leave when she moans in her sleep and moves her head slightly, giving him a full view of her face.

His breath hitches in his throat.

In her sleep, what he thought were permanent worry lines are gone. Her face is smooth and unblemished, silky and pale in the light from the window over her bed. Her full pink lips are pursed in a pout and her dark eyelashes graze her cheek. Her hair is thrown carelessly around her face, and he knows if her eyes were open they would be chocolate. Freckles are sprinkled over her button nose, which twitches in her sleep.

She is beautiful.

And as soon as he thinks this thought he is running, running away from the dorm and then the common room and down the hall and back into his bed where he doesn't notice Goyle watching him silently from his bed. He throws his bag to the ground and huddles under the covers and drowns in self-loathing.

_Mudblood. Mudblood. Nothing but a filthy Mudblood._

What the fuck was that.

...

"And then he'll swoop down and be all like, _oh Pavarti, your lips are like cherries…" _Hermione is woken by feminine giggling and she buries her head further in her pillow, knowing what is to come. She has heard this fantasy before.

"And then he'll grab your hand, run with you to the lake, rip your clothes off and ravage your body like an animal!" More giggling. Ew. Ugh. This is disgusting.

"Shut the hell up, you disgusting little…" Hermione mutters into her pillow.

"Oh good 'Mione, you're awake," says Padma, plopping onto Hermione's bed and leaning back. "Who do you think would be on top, me or Ron?" Hermione ignores her and buries her head further into her pillow. At first she thought rooming with the twins would be fun- why not? She could get to know them better- but no, they seemed to find joy in tormenting her with their twisted fantasies about her best friend. Though she knew for a fact Ron wasn't interested in either of them, she hadn't had the heart to tell them, though it was becoming more and more tempting each day.

"Oh, leave her alone Padma. Let the beauty queen get her beauty rest."

"Go away," Hermione mutters, and Padma laughs.

"Oh, you little grouch, we're just kidding." Sure.

"Well, we'll see you at breakfast then," says Pavarti, smoothing her hair back into a ponytail, grabbing her sister's hand and pulling her from the dorm room. She gave Hermione a little wave before closing the door gently. Of the two of them, Hermione decided she definitely liked Pavarti better.

She rested for a few more minutes before sleepily setting out to do her morning routine. After her shower, she brushed her teeth and dressed in weekend Muggle clothes- a thin cotton sweater and shorts. The fall weather was all over the place, but it was supposed to be mild today. She sat on her bed and set about magically drying her hair, casually glancing under her bed to check if the backpack is still there.

Her whole body tensed when she realised the place under her bed was gapingly empty.

Her heart beating wildly, Hermione drops her wand on her bed and begins frantically searching the dorm. She finds her bag squished in her closet were she dropped it the night before, but a thorough search of the room and a few panicked _accio_'s later she accepts that the bag is nowhere in her room, and she has no idea why.

Oh god oh god, oh merlin this was bad. Her palms were beginning to sweat, something that only happened when she was nervous to the core. She had meant to keep the bag only for enough time to examine the mysterious objects, but she understood that Malfoy would need his bag back sometime. What about all the essays and papers that were in there? The quills?

Her breathing is becoming erratic and she lies herself down on the bed, taking deep breaths. She needs to calm down. There must be a reasonable explanation for this. Her stomach grumbles and she moves towards the door, composing her face and attempting to steady her shaking hand when she notices a book with a gaping hole in the middle, right next to the door.

Carelessly tossed aside.

Hermione wrinkles her brow and picks up the journal.

She was wrong. There is no reasonable explanation for this.

...

Draco makes his way to Potions with the Gryffindors with his arm around a giggling Pansy. He pretends to listen to her babble about dress robes and wills himself to forget last night, whatever it was. He convinces himself it was a moment of insanity- he had just seen the Weasley girl _naked,_for fucks sake. Who wouldn't be a bit mental?

His bag is slung over his shoulder comfortably, back where it's supposed to be. He can't wait to see the Mudblood's face when she realises he has it. Heck, he would probably give an arm and a leg just to see her reaction when she realises it's gone. She's probably scouring the room right now in blind panic. _Poor Draco, I lost his bag, what will I do?_

The thought puts a smirk on his face.

When he enters the classroom, a few eyes turn to acknowledge him, but most people are madly scribbling last minute changes to the essay due. And there's Granger, sitting up front, an unnecessarily long piece of parchment on the desk beside her.

Hermione glances casually behind her to see who the latecomer is and her jaw slackens.

Draco has his bag.

**If this chapter made you think, "wow draco is such a creep, he's looking at the Gryffindor girls sleep" keep in mind, all he was thinking about was getting back his backpack, not finding Ginny naked. A rather unpleasant surprise for him if I do say so myself... **

**Also, I have to admit that it pained me to write out the Patil sister's twisted fantasies... though if they get good feedback, i might just think about giving them their own little seperate one-shot. We'll have to wait and see.**

**xxxx,**

**Malfoy-Anonymous**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ooh, I like this chapter. Hope you like it, too! Read and review.  
**

**Chapter 4**

"Hey 'Mione, aren't you coming back to the common room?" Ron asks. Harry is meeting with Dumbledore _again,_so it's just her and Ron.

"No, I'm going to go to the library and finish up my Arithmacy assignment," Hermione says, turning towards the corridor that leads to the library.

"Oh great, I'll come with you- I haven't even started it yet," Ron says, smiling. Hermione bites her lip.

"No, no, don't worry about it; it's not due for a few weeks anyway. I'll let you take a few pointers off of mine." Ron frowned and looked at her carefully. Hermione, telling him not to worry about an assignment? Offering to let him cheat? Something was up, but he knew better than to pry. She would tell him when she was ready.

"Okay then, see you later," Ron said sullenly. Hermione waved goodbye and walked away. The truth was, she had finished that assignment the afternoon it was due. All she wanted was some quiet time to mull over the surprising events of the day without the Patil twins or Ron or anybody interrupting her. Though her last expedition to the library had been a disaster, she crossed her fingers that Draco had made it a habit to only come late at night.

She was happy when she entered the library and saw it was empty, save for Madam Pince glaring at her over her spectacles from her desk. Hermione gave her a hearty wave and drifted towards her usual table. She pulled a book out of her bag and pretended to read.

Now, how could Malfoy have possibly got his book back? According to _Hogwarts: A History,_a complicated spell was set over the dorms so that one cannot summon an object from anywhere in the castle. It had slipped her mind back in her dorm when she was searching for the lost backpack, but she remembered now, so that ruled out him _accio_ing the bag. Could he be working with one of the Patil twins? Possibly.

"Merlin, mudblood, I know I'm handsome but do you have to follow me everywhere?" said a snide voice from behind her. She sighed and tucked her book into her bag before turning around and gazing into Malfoy's face.

"Godric, Malfoy, just leave me alone," she murmured. "You win this one. I have no idea how you managed to get your bag back- it was either extraordinary magic that I know you're not capable of or you managed to seduce one of the Patil twins with your _handsome_face." The last comment was a taunt, and Draco was unsure of whether she had just complimented or insulted him. He hid his confusion well.

"Finally admitting defeat, are you?" he sneered. "Finally realising that you're just a little mudblood, huh? You and the rest of the _Golden Trio_are just a bunch of wankers-"

"Oh get over yourself Malfoy," Hermione interupted, rolling her eyes. "Has anyone ever told you you're a pathetic pain in the ass?"

"Anyone ever tell you you're a little know-it-all goody-two-shoes mudblood?"

"Oh shut _up!_" Hermione growled. "I come in here for_one minute of peace_and you think you're all high and mighty! Think of something new! I've heard it all and you're just a fowl evil little cockroach!" Draco scowled at the familiar insult from third year and fingered the scar on his chin from her punch. It was a painful memory, being beaten up by a girl, and a mudblood at that. He whipped out his wand.

"_Levicorpus!"_he shouted, and the mudblood was pulled up suddenly and dangled by her feet. Her blood flushed her face, which is twisted up in rage.

"_Merlin you're insane!"_she shouted, just as Madam Pince rushed up to them.

"No! No no no! No spells in the library," she shouts, her face red. Draco reluctantly mumbles the counter-curse and sends Hermione crashing back down.

"If you want to be welcome in my library, _behave,"_she scolds Draco. Draco smirks at her but then looks at Hermione.

"Well, I'm not letting a little mudblood-" "-we do _not_use that word-" "-keep me from studying." Draco looks at her defiantly. Last time they encountered each other he had let her chase him away, but that was not happening this time. Madam Pince looked flustered and walked away, muttering to herself about teenage hormones.

As soon as she rounded the corner to her office, Hermione sprung up from the ground and backed Draco up against the wall.

"Just leave me alone, okay? I'm not interested in you or your little games-"

"Why don't you go back to your common room? Rejected by your friends?"

"Don't talk about my friends-"

"So it's true then?" he smirked. "Little Potty is off playing with Dumbledore and Weasel, too clumsy and stupid to do anything." Hermione eyes are blazing now, and her erratic breaths wash over his face. She is too close for comfort.

"Don't _ever_insult Harry and Ron in front of me! They are twice the man you are! You wouldn't know a real friend if it slapped you in the face-"

"Hit a nerve didn't I? They must have some nerve, abandoning you and leaving you to waste away in the library-" That was enough for Hermione. She threw her hand back and swung it around, aiming for Malfoy's face, but Draco's seeker reflexes kicked in and he snatched her hand out of the air, spinning her around and pinning her up against the wall instead.

"You've got quite a temper," he said, but it lacked his usual acid. She was pinned beneath him, every inch of him touching her, and her face was tilting up to his, eyes blazing. They looked at each other for a few minutes, the anger fading away.

It took Hermione a second to realise why Draco had suddenly gone silent. His body was pressed up against hers, pinning her against the wall. His face looked down on hers, his gray eyes calm and his skin pale in the dim light. She realised he really was a handsome wizard, chiselled and masculine with beautiful eyes. His jaw is square and his lips are full. His pale hair looks soft, and Hermione was hit with the sudden urge to feel it. His breath tickled her chin. He smelled like... mint, and the woods. It was nice. She closed her eyes and inhaled.

...

Far off the library doors opened with a bang, snapping them back to reality. Draco stumbled back from the horrified witch, his stomach churning. He raced out of the library, past a bewildered second-year Hufflepuff and to his common room, which was buzzing with Slytherins, doing their homework or lounging on the couches. He looked around and spotted Pansy, grinning slyly. She walked up to his and pressed her chest to his where Hermione had been moments before.

"I don't know about you, but I'm feeling horny..." she murmered, tracing patterns on his neck. He smiled coyly and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards his dormitory. Just the distraction he needed.

...

The doors slammed loudly behind Draco and Hermione's knees gave, sending her tumbling back to the floor. She buried her face in her hands.

What had just happened? One moment she was angry, almost as angry as when he had taunted them in third year about the assassination of Buckbeak. And the next... she had no idea what it was, except that his lips looked tantalising. He was so close to her, so close, and for a second it seemed as if he was lost in her, too.

She had to remember who she was talking about. Draco _fucking _Malfoy. She could still smell him, and she realised she had to get out of the library. She had to get back to the common room where Ron and Ginny would be waiting, her _friends._They would distract her and make her laugh and she would forget all about this little... episode. Yes.

...

Harry was sitting at a table with Ginny, Ron, and Dean when Hermione got back to the common room. Ron saw her and waved. Hermione smiled and weaved through the throngs of Gryffindors blocking the way, pushing the Malfoy incident to the back of her mind.

"Hey Hermione, guess what?" smiled Harry, his cheeks flushed.

"It's not another love potion, is it?" Hermione whispered loudly to Ginny, and the table laughed.

"Harry is Quidditch captain!" Dean shouted. Hermione smiled and acted excited for Harry's benefit, though she couldn't care less about the sport, and everyone knew Harry would get the position anyway. She supposed it was a boy thing.

"Oh Harry, that's great!"

"Yeah! But I was talking with a few of the players from last year and it's going to be hard to schedule practices with all the OWL and NEWT training. I'm feeling stressed already." Hermione's face fell when she realised what this meant. With Harry and Ron playing Quidditch again and Harry at his meetings with Dumbledore, Hermione would be having a lot of alone time. Though she often complained about having no quiet time to finish her essays, she really did enjoy the boys company, and there was less of a chance Malfoy would approach her with them around.

Ron and Harry were too busy discussing tactics to notice Hermione's concern, but Ginny reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Hermione noticed her other hand was grasping Dean's under the table, and she gave Ginny a tight smile.

"I'm going to go up to bed," Hermione whispered to Ginny. Her head was pounding all of a sudden, and her whole body ached with fatigue. Ginny bade her goodnight and promised to poke her head in on her way up. Hermione was almost at the staircase when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked behind her and saw it was Ron.

"Oh hey, what's up?" she asked.

"Well," Ron began nervously. "I was wondering if you could help me with that Arithmacy assignment?"

"Of course, I promised you, didn't I? But I'm really tired right now. Maybe tomorrow?" Ron looked dejected, and Hermione was a bit confused. She _had _promised him, hadn't she? She always helped him with his projects.

"Okay, see you tomorrow," Ron murmured and walked away. Hermione watched him walk away with a frown on her face, but shrugged it off and dragged herself up to her room, where she collapsed on her bed fully clothed. Despite the thoughts whirring around in her head, she was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Meanwhile, in the common room.

Ron approached the table looking beat.

"No luck?" asked Harry. Ron shook his head.

"That's _twice _today she's rejected me," he frowned and slumped down in his seat. Ginny patted his shoulder and Dean looked uncomfortable.

"Hey, I'm sure she'll come around," Dean reassured him. He knew it seemed like he was flaunting his relationship with Ginny when Ron was going through a tough time, but he wanted Ron to know he was still supportive. Ginny and Harry nodded in agreement.

"Don't you worry about a thing," Ginny said, taking a bite off a Cauldron Cake. "And if all else fails, I bet Lavender Brown would be more than willing to step up." Ginny tilted her head to the brunette in the corner, eyeing Ron with a hungry expression. Ron couldn't stop himself from letting out a laugh, and felt better already. He leaned back in his chair. They were right, of course. She had to come around eventually.

...

Draco panted and rolled over, tangling his legs through Pansy's. She grinned at him with post-coitus bliss and lay beside him for a second, catching her breath before rolling out of bed and pulling on her clothes. Draco watched her dress with a cocky smile. She gave him a kiss on his mouth before rushing out, adjusting her clothes so no one would suspect anything though everyone already knew. Not that Draco minded- shagging the sexiest Slytherin wasn't a bad reputation to have.

He rolled over in his bed, burying his face into his pillow and relaxing his muscles. Right now his little encounter with Granger was the furthest thing from his mind, and that was how he liked it.

**Hm, things are heating up, aren't they? After this, who knows what will happen next time Draco and Hermione are alone together. And what's up with Ron? Guess we'll have to wait to find out.**

**xxxx,**

**Malfoy-Anonymous**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm so sorry this chapter is so short, but I think some of you may find this rather interesting...**

**Chapter 5**

Hermione watched the Quidditch tryouts with a rather bored expression. Ron, Ginny, and Seamus had all taken their turns, and she was growing restless watching first years fall off their brooms and giggling fifth years staring googly eyes at Harry. Her eyes flitted around the stadium, watching the reactions of the audience with mild interest. Her eyes wandered over to the Slytherin stadium and involuntarily rested on Malfoy, who had his arm around Pansy and was sneering at a clumsy second year.

He looked around but stopped, focusing on something to his left. He frowned and disentangled himself from Pansy, marching off and leaving her to gaze after him confused. He disappeared into the stands.

Hermione looked around to make sure no one was watching before she followed him, curiosity getting the better of her. She walked to the place he had disappeared, which turned out to be a doorway cut out of the stadium. A long path leading to the castle led away from it, and in the distance she could see Malfoy's tall figure. With one last glance around she followed him at a brisk pace, keeping enough distance between herself and him to insure he wouldn't see her. He walked up to the steel doors and paused before pushing them open and slipping through.

Hermione followed him through winding corridors and up shifting staircases, all the while keeping a good distance from him. He walked for several minutes before stopping.

"Ah, Draco," said a feminine voice. Hermione gasped and lunged behind a suit of armour. She recognized the voice.

"The cabinet worked well," said Bellatrix Lestrange. Shivers ran down Hermione's spine and memories flooded her from that terrible night at the Department of Mysteries.

"I'm glad," Draco said coolly.

"Yes, you did well. And this means that the plan can be carried out, though next time you might want to make sure the path from the cabinet is clear," said a snide male voice that Hermione recognized as Dolohov. Her shaking got worse. What were two known death eaters doing inside Hogwarts? Though she knew what Dolohov meant when he said Draco had done well, she hoped desperately she was wrong.

"So sorry that wasn't _convenient _for you," Draco drawled.

"You dare talk to me like that boy-"

"Oh Dolohov, shut up. Draco did well and the Lord will be quite pleased," she said.

"How are my parents?"

"They are doing fine, though there was a little mishap- apparently the Ministry decided the Manor needed to be searched. The Dark Lord took care of them, though," something like delight sparkled in the cruel witch's voice. Dolohov rumbled his consent.

"Who were they?"

"A pureblood and a mudblood. The Lord took the mudblood but left the pureblood for me," at this Bellatrix openly cackled. "He was a tough one, but I cracked him."

"Tell my parents to stop bugging me, tell them I have it under control, will you?" Draco said. There was a tense silence.

"Later then, Draco. You'll get your orders soon." Bellatrix said, and Hermione listened as her heels clacked away, followed by the scuffling of men's shoes. Hermione waited for Draco to move, holding her breath. It was a short while before she heard anything at all. It was quiet, a strangled little cry, and Hermione peeked out from behind the armour.

Draco was sitting hunched over, leaning against the wall. His face was hidden in his hands and his shoulders were shaking. He let out a whimper. He couldn't be… crying? All mighty Draco, ruler of the Slytherins, number one prat and bully, crying? The sight made her heart clench, and she knew she was seeing him at his weakest. She doubted few, if anyone, had seen him this... vulnerable. He let out another heart wrenching sob, and as much as Hermione wanted to comfort him she knew she wouldn't be any comfort to him, not to mention what he would do to her if he knew what she had heard. So instead she crept slowly away, back down the corridor she had come and straight to the library to read anything and everything on magical cabinets she could find.

...

"And Tom used to do all these things when he was little… he used to torment the other orphans, take their stuff. And there was this one night at the cave… the memory didn't go into much detail about it, but it seemed just like his thing. The kids were never the same after."

Hermione and Ron listen intently as Harry recounts his most recent meeting with Dumbledore in hushed tones. Dean and Ginny are sucking each other's faces on the couch, Lavender is gushing to Romilda about Ron in the corner, Ron is shooting uncomfortable glances at Hermione every few minutes, and the tables are crowded with pupils frantically finishing essays. The whole scene feels surreal after what she heard in the corridor, and as much as Hermione wants to go somewhere quiet and think, she forces herself to cherish what little time she had with Ron and Harry.

"And what does this have to do with the horcruxes?" Hermione asked.

"Well don't you think it's likely that Tom- I mean, Voldemort chose the cave as one of the places to hide a horcrux?" Harry pointed out. Hermione thought this over for a second.

"Any idea what the horcrux is?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Well, the diary from the chamber of secrets was one. Dumbledore thinks he might have chosen something from each house, so the locket of Salazar Slytherin and Helga Hufflepuff's cup," says Harry, counting them off on his fingers. "He reckons he found another one, a ring, that's why his hand is all shrivelled up." Hermione gulped.

"Have you… have you actually seen the ring?" Hermione asked.

"No," Harry frowned. "I guess he's keeping it somewhere safe." Hermione's palms started to sweat again and she blocked out the rest of the conversation- there was room for only one thought in her head.

What was Malfoy doing with two horcruxes in his school bag?

**What in the world is Malfoy up to? And why did malfoy-anonymous make this chapter so short?**

**I'm sorry to say your questions won't be answered in the next chapter, but I don't think you'll mind...**

**xxxx,**

**malfoy-anonymous**


	6. Chapter 6

**This is my favourite chapter so far, hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I'm trying not to include Ron, Harry, Ginny and blah blah _too _much in the story, because I know how frustrating it is when you just want to know what's going on with Hermione and Draco! Does this work for you? Read and review!  
**

**Chapter 6**

The question plagued her over the next week. She could hardly concentrate in class, and she was sure Harry and Ron noticed she was being distant. She spent most of her time in the library, attempting to research horcruxes, though there wasn't much material available at all. She was at a complete and utter loss of what to do, and it wasn't in her Gryffindor blood to leave the matter alone.

When she wasn't in the library, she was watching Malfoy. In class, in the Great Hall, in the hallway, trying to figure out what he was thinking. This particular potions class, while Professor Slughorn droned on about the time he met Gilderoy Lockhart (Ron and Harry were snickering behind their hands), Hermione watched as Draco's hand slowly crept across Pansy's lap.

"…and so I will be splitting you into pairs to _attempt _to create the Felix Felicis potion over the next few months! Don't worry if you do not succeed, this is a _very _difficult potion to make!" Slughorn exclaimed loudly to the class. The class blinked at him and shot each other wary glances.

"Now, I'll create your groups today and you can begin chopping the Skeleton Root! Okay, how about we have Ms Vain with Ms Bulstrode-" Millicent growled at Romilda, who flinched and fell off her chair. "We'll have Mr Higgs with Ms Brown…" He continued in this manner, walking down the rows and moving people around. Hermione sat straight up in her seat, listening eagerly for her name to be called. She had always wanted to create Felix Felicis, thinking it might actually give her a challenge.

Harry was paired with Pansy, who wrinkled her nose in disgust when he sat next to her. Ron was given Blaise Zabini, who eyed him like he was rotten meat. Almost everyone had been paired, and only Neville, Dean, her, and Malfoy were left. She crossed her fingers, hoping for either Neville or Dean.

"Mr Longbottom, how about you have a seat over there with Mr Thomas." Hermione closed her eyes slowly and clenched her fists. This could not be happening. What had started out as an excited project was slowly becoming the worst thing to happen to her in a Potions class, and that was saying something.

"That leaves Mr Malfoy and Ms Granger! Okay class, start chopping!"

Malfoy looked over at her and scowled. Hesitantly, she dragged herself over to the empty seat next to him and got out her Skeleton Root. He watched her as she started chopping. She could smell his delicious scent and it once again infused her brain, making her chopping uneven.

"Oy Mudblood, what the hell are you doing? You want to ruin the potion on day one?" Malfoy grabbed the root away from her and started cutting angrily. He was no happier about their situation than she was. How was he supposed to work with her? She would ruin the entire potion. Heck, he would have taken Longbottom over her.

"I.. I haven't seen you in the library lately," she said, hoping the break the awkward silence.

"Of course not, how am I supposed to get anything done in there with you breathing down my neck?" he replied, his voice dripping with acid.

"Yeah, I bet it's a lot easier to concentrate with Pansy draped over your lap," she said sarcastically. Draco raised his eyebrows. So Hermione noticed him and Pansy, did she?

"It's easier than having Weasley following me around like a puppy," he retorted.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Hermione choked out in her surprise. What in the merlin was he talking about?

"Oh Granger, you hurt my feelings," Draco pouted, his eyes glinting. Hermione rolled her eyes and went back to chopping the root in silence. Draco watched her, wondering how to word what he wanted to say.

"Godric, Malfoy, no need to gawk," she said without looking at him.

"I believe you have something of mine," Malfoy said finally.

"I believe it doesn't belong to you at all," Hermione said, still refusing looking at him. "And I don't have it on me- unlike you, I don't think it wise to be carting something like _that _around." Malfoy looked surprised. So she knew what is was… or at least, thought she did.

"Well I need it back," he snarled.

"You don't _intimidate _me, Malfoy," Hermione growled back. "If you want it back you can meet me in the library at eight tonight- no one will be there. And I swear, if you don't come or try to intimidate or insult me, I'm keeping it."

"Don't tell me what to do, mudblood," said Draco angrily.

"Oh get over yourself," Hermione was getting sick of him, she really was. Though her respect for Pansy was zero, she had to admire her for being able to put up with the stinking prat.

Draco's face darkened and he looked about to say something, but Slughorn interrupted, telling everyone to put their chopped root into their cauldrons and pack up. The partners didn't say anything else as they packed up, and Draco stormed from the room. Hermione rolled her eyes again and walked out with Harry and Ron.

…

7:30. Hermione was sitting on her bed while Padma and Pavarti played Exploding Snap in the corner. She had regretted her deal with Draco the minute it escaped her lips, and now it seemed the clock was moving especially slowly. She just wanted this to be over with. She shuddered at the thought of what Draco could do to her in the empty library- with Madam Pince watching her nightly television and all the students in their common rooms there would be no one around to hear her scream.

Okay, maybe that was a bit drastic. But you never know.

7:35. Hermione couldn't take it any longer and decided to go wait in the library and pass the time by reading. Padma and Pavarti hardly look at her when she moves to leave. The common room is full, and she walks along the edge to stay out of view of the table where Ron and Harry are seated. The less questions asked, the better. She feels bad about sneaking around behind her friends backs, especially when they're always so honest with her, but she assures herself it's for the best. She knows they would try to stop her, but to be honest she just wanted to be rid of the foul object. It gave her the big time creeps.

She takes her time walking to the library, stopping to say hi to Nearly Headless Nick along the way. It's 7:50 when she arrives, and she takes a seat at the table closest to the door to wait.

…

Anger at being bossed around by a mudblood still simmered in Draco's stomach, but he figured he didn't really have a choice if he wanted the journal back. He didn't plan on letting her win, though- he already had a few good jinxes in mind for after she handed the bloody thing over.

When he entered the room that had become a meeting places of sorts for them, he noticed that Hermione had been correct. The library was completely empty, even the desk where Madam Pince usually sat to better scowl at the students. He spotted Granger sitting at a table, nose stuck in a book, and smirked at how predictable she was.

"Okay Granger, hand over the bloody journal," he said, causing her to jump with fright. He stuck out his hand and stood there expectantly.

"You underestimate me, Malfoy," she replied coolly, and gestured to the chair across from her. "Have a seat."

"So I'm being interviewed now?" he said, making no move to sit and crossing his arms.

"I have a few questions and I'm not giving the journal back until they're answered." There she went again, ordering him around. He scrutinized her for a moment before taking sitting down across from her. Hermione smiled and leaned back.

"You are carrying horcruxes around in your bag."

"Yes." He saw no point in lying when she already knew the answer. Hermione was taken aback at his honesty, and crossed her fingers it would continue.

Hermione was about to ask him about what she witnessed in the corridor, but decided against it.

"How did you get your bag back?"

"I summoned it."

"Liar."

"Believe what you like, that's the answer I'm giving you." Draco leaned back in his chair, wondering how long she planned to question him. Hermione sighed but moved on.

"Why do you have the horcruxes? How did you get them?"

"I don't have time for this Granger," Draco said. How dare she question him, blackmail him into giving her the answers. It was despicable, and yet seemed exactly like something he would do.

"Aw, does Draco want to get back to his girlfriend? I want to know why the hell you are carrying two of Voldemort's horcruxes around in your bloody bag and then I'll give you the journal." Hermione wasn't leaving without answers.

"Give me the journal!" shouted Draco, jumping up from the table and pointing his wand at Hermione. Hermione stood up from the table and mimicked his stance.

"I warned you, Malfoy, hex me and the journal is gone." Hermione's voice was deadly calm. Of course she wouldn't really destroy something so useful, but it was worth the lie when she saw the anger spread across Malfoy's handsome features.

"_Mutatio Skullus!"_

"_Protego!"_

Hermione's shield charm reflected Draco's hex, and Draco snarled another spell.

"_Fodio!"_

"_Protego!"_

"_Petrificus Totalus!"_

"_Protego!"_

"_Steleus!"_

"_Protego!"_

"Is that all you got, mudblood?" Draco sneered. "Why don't you fight back instead of protecting yourself? Scared?"

"Because I don't want to fight with you, Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed, lowering her wand. "I don't care about you and your prejudices, I just wanted answers, but if your ego is too big for even that then just _take the fucking journal." _Hermione grabbed the book out of her bag and threw it at him. It clipped Draco's chin and he glowered at her before bending down to pick it up.

"You think you're so good and innocent because you refuse to fight me," Draco whispered menacingly, taking slow steps towards her. Hermione could feel the anger radiating off of him and her heart clenched in fear. "But I can see through it. I know you're just scared. You're just a filthy _mudblood." _He spat the last word. He was close to her again, and Hermione wondered briefly why they always ended up in this position.

"You are arrogant and selfish and disgusting," Hermione replied. "And I don't want to sink to your level by letting you rile me up."

"I'll get you eventually," said Malfoy, and the smile playing on his lips took Hermione by surprise. She was suddenly aware that her and Draco Malfoy were having an argument in the library _alone, _and once again he was so close to her she could smell him. And once again his scent filled her head, making her dizzy. Without realising what she was doing, she leaned towards him, just as he leaned towards her to insult her again.

Their lips hardly brushed but it was enough.

Hermione fell back and hit her head on the bookshelf, knocking off an old hardcover. Draco stumbled and fell onto her, and the book hit the back of his head, knocking the wind out of him. They lay there for a second, tangled in each other, catching their breath and waiting for the pain to subside.

"What the fuck," moaned Draco, throwing himself off Hermione and rubbing the back of his head gingerly. Hermione looked too stunned to say anything, but she forced her lips to move.

"What the fuck indeed," she murmured, and she scrambled away from Draco, leaving her bag on her chair in her haste to leave.

"Hey mudblood," Draco shouted, throwing her bag to her. She caught it and looked up to Draco in surprise.

"See, that's the _polite _thing to do," he said, turning his back to her. Hermione watched him gather his things for a few moments before turning once more to leave.

Once she was back in her dormitory and in her bed, she realised that she did not regret meeting Draco in the library or what had happened. Not one bit.

…

Draco watched Hermione leave, her brown curls bouncing behind her. He slumped into the chair and looked around the library idly. What was happening to him? Why had he let her get off without even hexing her once?

And why didn't he regret it at all?

**Exciting, huh? Sorry to break off like that, but I figured we could all do with a little cliffhanger! Interesting how Draco handled that, isn't it? And why was it Hermione to leave this time? Hmm, guess we'll just have to wait and find out!**

**xxxx,**

**malfoy-anonymous**


	7. Chapter 7: A Meeting

**Sorry this chapter is so short, but I figured this was a pretty important part of the story, and it deserved it's own chapter.**

**Chapter 7**

**A Meeting**

The whole room was Dark.

The curtains were thick and black, blocking out the sunlight and throwing eerie shadows across the room. The floor was black marble, cold and smooth beneath Draco's feet. The walls were bare spare for a dark stain or two.

Through the middle of the room was a long, thick marble table. Nondescript chairs surrounded it, all of which were currently occupied with an assortment of sour faced Death Eaters. At the end of the table stood a throne, carved out of stone. At first glance it was impossible to notice the intricacy of it, but if you looked carefully you would notice the snakes. Of all different shapes and sizes, they twisted and slithered around each other to form the chair. The armrests were two particularly menacing looking cobras, poised to strike, their still stone eyes watching over the room.

But the worst thing of all was hanging over the table like a centre piece. A muggle, held up in the air by magic. It was a man, though he was hardly recognizable anymore. His body was blotched and red, beaten and battered. His head was slightly caving on the side, and his whole face was bloody and matted. His head lolled to the side, and he would have been thought dead if not for the gentle but continuous moan coming out of him.

The occupants of the table turned to watch as Draco was escorted to the empty seat beside the throne. He didn't even flinch when the muggle let out a raspy gasp, his attention on the two people in front of him.

"Mother, Father," he said nodding his head at them. Lucius Malfoy, looking cold as ever, merely narrowed his eyes at his son. Narcissa gave her son a sad smile and patted her husband's hand.

"The Dark Lord will be here soon," said Lucius to the table. The Death Eaters diverted their gazes and nodded, none willing to look him in the eye. The air filled with nervous tension, and as the muggle man let out a last whimpering moan, the doors of the room were thrust open.

A clattering filled the air as seventy Death Eaters rose from their chairs, craning their necks to get a better look at their master. Draco however had a clear view, and cringed away from the sight.

The Dark Lord looked as he always did. His skin was pale and sunken, woven with clearly visible pulsing veins. His fingers were abnormally long and bony, poking out of his billowing black robes. His head was bald and smooth, but it was his face that caused Draco to cringe.

Voldemort's mouth was thin and dry, blending in with his skin. His nose was merely two slits in the centre of his face. His eyes were terrible, shiny and thin and cold, as if no happiness ever reached them. His presence filled the room, and he allowed the Death Eaters to adjust to the atmosphere before taking his seat on the throne.

"We have many things to discuss," the Lord began in his rasping voice. "But first, I think we should congratulate our young Draco on restoring one of Hogwart's oldest secrets." The Death Eaters around the table clapped but looked at each other warily.

"Because of his work, we will be able to carry out then plan," Voldemort said, and Bellatrix, who was seated a few chairs away, couldn't stop herself from letting out an excited squeak.

"Yes, my dear Bellatrix, I know you are eager to carry this out. But we must wait until the right time. We must get Dumbledore alone, with no one around to defend him. He must be weak," Voldemort said, and Bellatrix's eyes flashed angrily. "Never underestimate your enemy. Draco, dear boy."

"Yes, my Lord?" asked Draco expectantly.

"Find out what Dumbledore is up to, and when would be the best time to attack," commanded Voldemort. Lucius looked at his son proudly but Narcissa's mouth drooped.

"Is there a problem, Narcissa?" asked Voldemort quietly, though he knew no one would dare question him.

"Not at all, my Lord," the Malfoy woman said. "I'm just excited for Draco." Voldemort gave Narcissa a wicked grin before continuing with his speaking, and when the meeting was done he simply vanished from his chair. The whole room seemed to breathe out in relief.

"Oh Draco," said Narcissa, rushing forward and gathering Draco in an embrace. Draco hugged his mother back tightly.

"You've been doing splendid," his mother beamed at him. Lucius noticed them and broke away from the man he was talking to to walk over to them.

"The Dark Lord is pleased, Draco," he spoke, his voice icy and flat. "If you keep it up you might manage to get out of this alive. And it might help your case if you watch your tongue around the other Eaters." Lucius tilted his head towards Dolohov. Draco scowled.

"Whatever you say, Father," Draco said, knowing better than to talk back. He gave his son one more cool look before allowing himself to be pulled away.

"Come on, Draco, let's get you back to Hogwarts," his mom tugged on his arm, leading him out of the room. Together they marched their way through the many rooms of the Manor and stopped in the gardens.

"Draco, sweetie," his mom said suddenly, grasping his face. "You stay safe, you hear me? If you complete this mission we'll practically be sitting on the Lord's lap. I know it seems as though your father doesn't care, but we both really are worried for you. Okay? I love you sweetie." Draco snorted at the part about his father but nodded, allowing his forehead to be kissed. The last thing he saw before he apparated back to Hogsmeade was his mother's worried face and his father watching from the window.

**So Draco _is _working with Voldemort? Interesting. I wonder what Hermione's doing...**

**xxxx,**

**malfoy-anonymous**


	8. Chapter 8

**Read and Review!**

**Chapter 8**

"Hello Ronald, Harry, Hermione," says Luna Lovegood, taking a seat at the Gryffindor table. Harry nods at her in acknowledgement and Ron is too absorbed in his meal to notice her.

"Hello, Luna," says Hermione, smiling at the Ravenclaw. She hadn't seen Luna very much since the night at the Department of Mysteries, and it was always nice when she decided to visit the Gryffindor table.

"Oh Hermione, how are you?" she asked, her eyes unfocused as usual. "Is there something different about you?"

"Uh… no, I don't think so," Hermione said uncomfortably.

"There is- your cheeks are red. And you lips are puffier… it looks nice. It suits you," Luna seemed completely unaware of Hermione's discomfort. She blushed and looked away from Luna who was now talking to an incredulous Ron about Flying Skygrears. Her eyes wandered around the room, catching the eyes of Neville who was talking to Professor Sprout, before resting on- who else?- the blonde boy seated at the Slytherin table. He was facing her but seemed to be completely immersed in whatever Pansy was babbling on about. At that second Pansy chose to stretch out, leaning across Draco and snuggling into his lap. Draco suddenly looked up at Hermione and she rose her eyebrows as if to say, what did I tell you? Draco smirked and shoved Pansy off of him, who looked hurt for a second before talking again.

Hermione grinned at his bored expression. There was something about him… something that didn't quite fit with what she had heard in the hallway. He didn't seem _Dark, _not at all. Confused, if anything. As hard as she tried she couldn't imagine him being a death eater, despite the fact that he had been having a calm conversation with Bellatrix and Dolohov. She idly wondered why she hadn't gone to Dumbledore with the information- wasn't she always the one that told Harry to take his problems up with the old wizard, even if they were nothing? And she was sure two Death Eaters in Hogwarts wasn't _nothing. _It disturbed her greatly that this hadn't occurred to her before, and she decided that she would tell Dumbledore that evening.

"..Hermione?" Ron shook Hermione's arm. She looked at him and realised everyone was looking at her expectantly.

"What?" Hermione asked, hoping they hadn't realised who she had been having a silent conversation with from across the room.

"I was just asking when you were going to help me with that Arithmacy assignment…"

"Oh! Right! Well, how about during that free period today?" Ron's face lit up and he nodded.

"Okay, meet me in the library, I guess," he said. Hermione nodded and they both turned back to the table conversation that Luna was conducting about Flobberworms.

…

"So I asked her, 'do you have any green shoes to match this dress robe' and the little bitch was all like, 'hon, I don't think green is your colour'. Like, I think I would _know _what my colour was…" Pansy rambled on and Draco pretended to listen. He had already heard this story multiple times, so he knew just when to nod or comfort her.

"I know babe, she doesn't know anything," Draco pouted, and Pansy grinned at him before going on. Draco knew he wouldn't be required to say anything for some time now, so he took the chance to look around the Great Hall. Pansy suddenly stretched out, pulling her arms above her head and then leaning down to rest her head against Draco's lap. He looked down at her and then up to see Hermione looking straight at him, her eyebrows raised knowingly. Her words from Potion's class flashed through his mind- "_I bet it's a lot easier to concentrate with Pansy draped over your lap." _Draco smirked back at her smug expression and pushed Pansy off his lap, just to show Granger that he was in charge. Pansy looked hurt for a brief second, barely pausing her story, and this time he didn't even bother to pretend to listen.

…

"Okay, I think I've got it," Ron said, biting his tongue and writing out the last sentence. They had been sitting in the library for a good hour now, and Hermione was beginning to get restless. Seeing as it was a free period, there were lots of other Gryffindors lounging around, some reading but most watching as Dean and Seamus attempted to transfigure a pencil into a mouse. The room exploded in laughter when the pencil sprouted legs and made a mad dash for the door.

"Okay, great," Hermione said. "Do you want me to look over it?" Ron nodded and shifted the paper over, brushing his hand against hers. His hand idled for a second over hers before he stuffed it into his lap and blushed.

Ron had been acting very strangely the entire period, going out of his way to brush against Hermione and asking unnecessary questions. He was also sweating quite a bit in spite of the snow drifting down outside the window, melting before it touched the ground.

"Hey Ron, are you okay?" asked Hermione over her paper. "You look a bit sick."

Ron's ears turned red. "No, I'm fine, I was just… never mind." He looked away as Hermione finished correcting the essay.

"Good job," Hermione smiled and handed the essay over. Ron beamed at her and held his arms out as if wondering whether to hug her, but instead opted for a high five. Ginny saw that they were done and wandered over, taking the seat across from Hermione.

"Ron, go away, we need to talk about girl stuff," Ginny said, glancing at Ron. Ron stuck his tongue out at her and left the table to go find Harry. Ginny watched him go and leaned in towards Hermione as soon as he was out of earshot.

"Dean is driving me fucking mental," Ginny whispered.

"Why? What's he doing?" Hermione was confused- they seemed perfectly fine, always holding hands and snogging in the hallways.

"He just… I don't know. He asks _so _many questions and always tries to help me, like I'm not strong enough to help myself through the doorway to the common room." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Well, maybe it's a sign that it's not meant to be," Hermione said.

"You think?"

"You know, Harry was looking at you all through lunch yesterday," said Hermione, and Ginny's eyes widened.

"Really?" she grinned, and looked around to see where Harry was at.

"Yeah, I don't think he'd say no if you made a move," Hermione winked, and Ginny squealed.

"You think? You really think he likes me back?"

"Merlin Ginny, if this excites you so much you should _really _dump Dean. It's not fair to keep dating him if you like someone else," Hermione said.

"I know I should," Ginny moaned. "But what if he goes and bad mouths me to Harry?"

"Well, you can't stay with Dean forever. And if Harry really likes you, I doubt he'll let a few things Dean says change his mind." Ginny thought about this for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. And what about you? Have you heard anything from Viktor lately?"

"No, not really, he's busy," Hermione blushed, but she knew the truth was that Viktor had forgotten her. She had just been a little fling. Not that she minded- all Viktor seemed to want to do was get her in bed, and she was _not _letting that happen. Not for her first time.

"It's okay," Ginny said soothingly. "I'm sure you'll find _someone else…" _she looked pointedly at Ron. Hermione laughed.

"As if. Ron's been acting really weird lately, I don't know what's gotten into him," Hermione mused.

"Maybe he's _love struck," _another pointed look. Hermione looked at Ginny incredulously.

"Oh come on Ginny, you can't be serious," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ron's my best friend."

"Uh huh," Ginny nodded sarcastically. Hermione was thinking of a good retort but Dean waved at her and Ginny left the table grudgingly. Hermione realised she was sitting at the same table as she had been that evening a few days ago, when the library looked completely different- dark, empty, and with a mysterious Slytherin sitting across from her…

…

"Hey Malfoy, you coming down to the common room?" asked Crabbe, waiting in the doorway. Draco thought for a second- the busy common room, filled with people he detested and Pansy, waiting for him and surely expecting some sort of action- or his dorm room, nice and quiet and comfortable with Crabbe and Goyle gone? It was a no brainer.

"I'm going to stay here," Draco said. "And tell Pansy not to come looking for me." Crabbe nodded and walked out the door, followed by Goyle. The door clicked shut and Draco stretched out in his bed, looking at the ceiling and reveling in the silence. He thought about the meeting yesterday. It had gone well, very well in fact- no one had died. And the Dark Lord seemed pleased with him, which was necessary if he wanted his little _side experiment _to go swimmingly. However his father was a different matter- what did it take to please the man? Voldemort himself was easier to satisfy than him.

Her mother had been worried for him, and for good reason. If he didn't figure out how to destroy the blasted horcruxes hidden under his bed, he would have to carry out the insane task assigned to him. It was a suicide mission, everybody knew that. Dumbledore had over a hundred years of experience and was considered the best wizard of all time, and who was Draco compared to that? If Dumbledore fought back, he was dead.

A tapping at the window interrupted his thoughts, and when he looked up he saw the source was the Malfoy owl with a piece of parchment clamped in his beak.

"Speak of the devil," Draco said to himself, and opened the window to let the owl in. The bird dropped the letter on Draco's bed and gave Draco a peck on the head before flying away.

"Bloody bird," murmured Draco, rubbing the place the owl had pecked. He took a seat on the bed and looked at the letter for a second before opening it. He knew what it was going to say before he even read it.

_Next meeting in a fortnight. Meeting place as usual. Make sure you have sufficient information or else._

_-N and L_

Or else. He traced the letters with his pinky finger. It wasn't forbidding, just a warning, and he knew exactly what it meant- you better have some shit on Dumbledore or else there would be consequences from the Dark Lord.

There was a knock on the door and he shoved the piece of parchment under his pillow hastily before opening the door a crack and peeking out. Pansy stood there, her breasts overflowing out of a tube top and her legs stuffed into tight jeans.

"What?" Draco asked sharply. Pansy looked taken aback.

"I just thought I'd come up and… _check on you," _Pansy winked.

"Bloody hell Pansy, leave me alone," he said icily before shutting the door in Pansy's face. Pansy stood there for a second, the too shocked to move. Draco had _never _rejected an offer of sex before. She narrowed her eyes at the door. Something was up.

**I'm so sorry I made Hermione so oblivious to how Ron feels! I know how frustrating it is, but I don't think she would be so willing to admit her best friend had feelings for her, do you?**

**I wonder what will happen at the next meeting. I wonder how Hermione's meeting with Dumbledore will go. And I wonder what lengths Pansy will go to to get her little boy toy up and at it.**

**Guess we'll have to wait to find out.**

**xxxx,**

**malfoy-anonymous**


	9. Chapter 9

**Agh, I don't even know what to think of this chapter! It took me _forever, _but I'm not really satisfied with it... Tell me what you think, if it's too terrible I'll rewrite it! **

**Thanks so much for your reviews, all the feedback has been positive and you can be sure I'll continue to update regularly! **

**Read and review!**

**Chapter 9**

"_Acid pops."_

The stone gargoyle jumped suddenly to the side, startling Hermione and revealing a staircase. She had never been to the headmaster's office before, and she had gotten the password from Harry, with the excuse that she needed to see Dumbledore for Prefect reasons.

Hermione stepped gingerly onto the stairs and they immediately began moving. They spiralled up for a minute before stopping, and Hermione found herself facing a set of large wooden doors with intricate metal designs. Hermione stood there for a minute, contemplating what to say. 'I think I have some information that may be of some importance to you.' 'Bellatrix and Dolohov were in the school, but I didn't tell you right away and I don't know why.' 'Draco helped them somehow, something about a cabinet?' The longer she thought about it, the harder it seemed to be to lift her fist to the door and knock.

Draco was not a bad person. He couldn't be.

He was just a boy, confused and alone. A boy who may or may not have almost kissed her. A very handsome boy indeed.

Why the hell couldn't she do this.

She placed her foot on the stair below and looked at the door. Another step lower. She slowly backed down the stairs, leaving the doors behind, and when she reached the hall and the gargoyle was back in place, she ran away from the door and the headmaster but no amount of running could escape her jumbled thoughts.

…

It was Potions class again. Hermione wasn't sure what to expect after the incident in the library earlier that week, but she soon realised Draco was determined to pretend it had never happened. Ron and Harry didn't seem to be having much luck with their partners, either- Ron was cowering in his seat while Blaise chopped the root with disturbing vigour, shooting Ron occasional malicious glances. Pansy was ignoring Harry completely, choosing instead to glower at Hermione and Draco. And of course Professor Slughorn was oblivious to the whole thing, letting the students do whatever they please while he stuffed his face with chocolate frogs then sucked excess chocolate off his fingers.

Hermione was trying hard not to think about the night before on the staircase, when she had had her first taste of cowardice.

"No mudblood, you have to cut the root on a _diagonal," _Draco said mockingly slow as if speaking to a child, and demonstrated how to do it. He was being a bit nicer than usual, but then again that wasn't saying much.

"Thanks _so _much, Draco, I don't know what I would do without you," Hermione said with sarcastic sweetness, batting her eyelashes and touching Draco's arm lightly. Draco jumped slightly at her touch but snorted with laughter. Pansy audibly growled and Draco stifled a laugh. When he wasn't being a prat he did have a sense of humour, Hermione decided.

Pavarti asked Slughorn a question about her root, and the professor seemed to realise he still had a class to teach. He answered Pavarti and began to stroll down the aisles, complimenting and giving suggestions, though nobody could take him seriously with chocolate smeared on his pudgy cheek. Slughorn stopped at Hermione and Draco's table and grinned.

"Oh my, wonderful cutting, wonderful!" Slughorn exclaimed, picking up a piece of root and examining it. Draco smirked at Hermione around Slughorn's corpulent figure.

"This is certainly enough for one batch of potion," Slughorn said. "How about you pair pack up and leave class early? I don't suppose it would make much sense for you to have to stay here while everyone finishes up their root."

"Thanks, Professor," Hermione beamed at the teacher and then Draco. She stuffed her books in her bag and hurried out of the class, elated that she would have some free time to work on translating a piece for Ancient Runes.

…

Draco watched Granger run out of the class with a smirk, thinking of how much homework she would be able to complete with her free time. He could feel Pansy's eyes on him as he packed up and brushed the root into the cauldron, but then again she had been watching him the whole period. He felt nothing but relief at his abrupt refusal last night, but it seemed to have stirred something in Pansy. She watched him go with narrowed eyes, and Draco spared her an annoyed glance. She really was a jealous bitch.

He walked down the hall towards the dungeons with his usual swagger. He could feel both of the horcruxes stuffed safely in his bag, where they were meant to be. As he continued on his way, he realised he could _actually _feel the horcruxes. They were liked two stones in his bag, and when his shoulder began to scream he dropped his bag on the floor. What the fuck?

He looked around to make sure he was alone before sticking his hand in his bag and pulling out the two objects. They were hot in his hands, and he had to juggle them to keep them from burning his fingers.

He held the ring up to his face and frowned. It looked perfectly normal-

As soon as his breath touched the ring, the pain came.

It exploded inside him, goading him from the inside out and scratching at his skin. He let out a strangled cry and dropped to the ground, shivering and whimpering as the pain spread to his fingers and toes and twisted inside him. His head was going fuzzy and the noises stopped but the agony raged on, a pain like he had never experienced before. It tickled his insides and everything before his eyes turned red.

…

Hermione searched through her bag and moaned. How could she have forgotten her book on Deciphering, Decoding and Defining Ancient Runes in Potions class? She absolutely could not complete the assignment without it. Though she was reluctant to leave the cosy Gryffindor common room, quiet for once with everyone at classes, she figured she had to go back.

She walked down the hall but took her time, enjoying how empty the school felt without the students rushing through the halls. The last time she had seen the hall this empty was when she had gone to the library in the middle of the night. She missed her midnight walks to the library, but lately she had been too tired (emotionally and physically) to read late at night.

From around the corner she heard a faint, strangled moan, and she creased her brow. It could be Ms Norris, but it didn't sound very much like a cat. It couldn't be-

Hermione let out a cry when she saw Malfoy on the ground, curled up into a ball and clutching his stomach. His eyes were squeezed shut and his breathing was ragged. The sight of him sent fear shooting through her veins, but she forced herself to think clearly and knelt down beside him.

"Malfoy?" she murmured, brushing his forehead. "Malfoy, it's me. Shh, it's going to be okay." She whispered condolences as she looked around and spotted the horcruxes lying a few feet away, glowing a dull red.

"Oh Draco," she gasped. "What did you do?" She looked around and realised she couldn't possibly call for help with the horcruxes right out in the open, but something told her not to touch the blasted things.

With one last look around, she gulped and removed her wand.

"_Wingardium Leviosa," _she whispered. Draco, his bag and the horcruxes floated off the ground a few inches. She began down the hall, hovering the boy and the objects behind him. If she ran into _anyone, _her and Malfoy would both be dead meat- Draco for having two horcruxes and Hermione for aiding him.

Without thinking she led them to her dormitory and set Draco and his possessions on the ground. She looked at him for a second, his moans a bit fainter. His eyes fluttered open for a second and he let out sudden a howl of pain. Hermione jumped into action, pulling a miniature cauldron out of her drawer along with some potions ingredients. She opened her copy of _Advanced Potion Making _to page 437 and began working to the soundtrack of the moans coming from the broken boy in front of her.

…

15 minutes later, Hermione was done. Her hands were grimy and the area surrounding the bubbling cauldron was splashed with powder and beetle eyes. She was pretty sure Draco had passed out about 7 minutes before. She was late for Herbology but at the moment she didn't care.

Her Healing Potion had turned out magnificently, the exact shade of jade green the textbook described. Gingerly, she removed a glass vial from her trunk and scooped some of the sticking liquid out. She crawled over to Draco's unconscious form and dribbled a bit of the potion in his mouth. Once satisfied it had all dripped down his throat, she sat back and waited.

…

She didn't have to wait long. After less than a minute Draco let out a sputter and his eyes flew open. He jerked up and looked around, completely unaware of his surroundings. He was sitting on a soft red carpet, in a small room with three beds laid with gold linens. He looked to his right and saw a small cauldron filled with green liquid, and behind that…

Granger, watching him, her brown eyes wide with curiosity.

Of course, now he recognized the room. It was Granger's dormitory.

"How do you feel?" Hermione asked softly, lifting a hand to his head. He flinched away from her touch and glared at her.

"What in the bloody name of Merlin-" he spat. He was feeling perfectly fine, and that was what worried him. Why the hell was in Hermione's dorm? And where had the pain gone?

"I… I saw you lying on the ground, so I brought you back to my dorm and brewed a Healing Potion," she gestured towards the cauldron. "You were only passed out for a few minutes."

Draco regarded her warily. So she had helped him, when she could have just ratted him out to a teacher. He would have had the horcruxes taken away, he would have been in the Medical Wing for weeks, and questioned… the whole mission would have been ruined. But then again, she couldn't have known this. She had done this for him.

"Thank you," Draco mumbled, looking her in the eyes. Surprise flickered across her face. Was Draco _thanking _her? She had expected something more along the lines of angry accusations and a death threat or two.

"You're welcome," Hermione nodded. There was a tense silence and then Hermione started moving, packing up her Potions supplies and pouring out the remainder of the potion into identical vials. Draco rested against one of the beds and watched her.

"You should rest," she said, and Draco's eyes flickered up to her bed and back to her. There was no way he was sleeping in her bed, if that was what she was suggesting.

"You better get back to your dorm, and think of a good excuse for why you weren't at class," she breathed, avoiding his eyes. "People will be suspicious." Draco nodded and stood up, but his head began to spin and he sat on the bed to steady himself. Hermione saw him and stood up, guiding his arm around her shoulders so he could lean on her.

"I don't need your help, Granger, I can walk-" Draco began, insulted. She rolled her eyes as she guided a reluctant Draco towards the door.

"Get _over _yourself, will you, Draco? You were just tortured and pushed into unconsciousness, you need help," she said, groaning under his weight. He paused and turned to look at her, and a self-conscious blush spread over her cheeks.

"What?" she asked, his stare making her uncomfortable.

"You called me Draco," he said, fixing his stare on her eyes. She looked back at him and nodded. She opened her mouth to say something but was silenced when his lips collided with hers.

He kissed her gently at first, just moving his lips against hers. She kissed him back and brought her hands to his shoulders at the same time he took her waist. He pulled her closer to him and deepened the kiss, taking her bottom lip and sucking eagerly. She responded with her tongue, flicking it against his teeth, and he suppressed a groan. His tongue pushed into her mouth, and it felt like silk and tasted like mint. Hermione sighed against him as it began moving around her mouth with skill. She sucked on it and let out a moan when his mouth left hers to trail down her neck, kissing and sucking its way down to her collarbone.

He felt himself getting hard and lust took over. He pushed her against the wall and began trailing his fingers up her sides, all the while sucking on her slender neck. She lifted her hands to his hair and began to finger the soft tendrils. She moved her head forward and kissed his ear, flicking his lobe with her tongue. This time the groan escaped, and the sound egged her on.

She lowered her hands and began to finger the hem of his shirt, brushing her nails against his abdomen. Draco's breath hitched in his throat as her hands got lower and lower, playing with the dusting of blonde hair that disappeared into his trousers.

His mouth found hers again and they attacked each other, tongues darting in and out. Both of their breathing was beginning to become ragged, and when Hermione pulled back for air reality came crashing down.

Draco stumbled away, backing into the opposite wall and staring at her. She leaned against the wall and met his eyes, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her lips were swollen and bruised from their kiss, and her eyes were wide with fear, just as scared as he was.

Malfoy was the first to gather his bearings, and he brushed past her into the room, stuffing the horcruxes into his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. When he came back out she was in the same position, but her eyes were trained on the wall. Draco stopped in front of her and looked her in the eye.

"Hermione," he whispered, and a little smile played on her lips.

"I've never heard you say my name before," she whispered. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers one more time before turning around and dashing out into the hallway where students were slowly filtering out of their classes. A few pupils gave him suspicious looks, but Draco managed to compose himself and give them one his signature scowls which scared them away. He walked down the hall, his lips tingling, and he could still taste her in his mouth.

**Interesting, huh? Don't be fooled though, their relationship isn't going to start just yet...**

**I have a few things in store.**

**xxxx,**

**malfoy-anonymous**

**p.s. I'm looking for a beta reader, so if you are available please contact me!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Read and review! I don't usually give music suggestions, but I was listening to the Favorite Worst Nightmare album by the Arctic Monkeys while writing this, it might help set the mood!**

**Chapter 10**

"Hey Malfoy," grunted Goyle, clambering into bed. Draco huffed at him and continued to towel dry his hair. Crabbe came out of the washroom and sat on his respective bed.

"Hey, what's up with Pansy?" Crabbe asked. Draco snapped his head around to look at him questioningly.

"What about Pansy?" Draco asked sharply. Crabbe glanced at Goyle, who nodded slightly, before continuing.

"Well, she seems kind of pissed," Crabbe said. "And she's been spreading some rumor about you fooling around with Astoria Greengrass."

"Is it true?" Goyle asked eagerly. "'Cause she's smoking hot-" Draco was surprised, and more than a little suspicious. What was Pansy playing at here?

"It's not true, and if you guys had brains you would see that," Draco said irritably, flicking his towel into the corner and shaking out his hair. Didn't they realise that if he had been getting in on with Greengrass, who was more than smoking hot and was the only Slytherin prettier than Pansy, he would have made sure everyone knew? "Pansy's in bitch mode today."

"Why? Did you get into a fight?" Goyle prodded. Draco gave him a withering look.

"I'm not talking about my _love life _to you wankers," Draco scowled, and when he left the room he closed the door with a slam. He marched down the stairs with the intention of going to the library to see if there was anything that would prove useful to his task, expecting the common room to be empty.

When he entered the common room, however, his face darkened and his gray eyes turned black.

"_Pansy." _He said in greeting. The blonde Slytherin was draped over one of the chairs in the common room, wearing nothing but a matching set of green lace bra and nickers. She gave him a sultry smile and started moving her feet in slow circles.

"Draco," she purred, pulling her hands above her head in a mock stretch and pushing her chest out. "What brings you down here?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Oh, now don't be like that," Pansy pouted, reaching an arm out towards him. "I'm stuck, help me up?"

"No," Draco scowled, moving past her towards the exit. "And by the way, did you borrow those nickers from Greengrass? Or does she just have a similar pair?" Pansy's eyes widened. She shrieked and rolled off the chair, running towards him.

"So it's true?" Pansy screeched, walking up to Draco and banging a fist on his chest. The girl was weak and Draco hardly felt anything.

"Oh, now don't tell me you believe your own rumors, Parkinson," Draco drawled. "And you better step back, or I'll make you." Pansy took a tentative step back, and Draco smirked.

"What the fuck are you playing at, spreading rumors about me? Did you think I'd let you get away with it?" Draco asked. Pansy looked up at him with feigned innocence.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Pansy said. "But I've noticed you've been acting a little weird lately. Is something wrong?"

"Fuck off, Pansy," Draco growled. Pansy frowned and walked straight up to Draco, pressing her almost-bare chest against his.

"Don't be like that Draco," she whispered, her fingers creeping slowly down his stomach. "I've been feeling horny all day, and I need you, right now." She rubbed her fingers around his dick through his pants and smiled at him.

"You're pathetic," Draco pushed her off of him and strut out of the common room without looking back. Pansy watched him go, her face growing darker and darker by the second.

…

It was virtually impossible to accomplish anything in the library. A million thoughts were rushing through Draco's head, most of them involving Hermione and some of them bitterly recalling Pansy's feeble attempt at make-up sex. He couldn't believe what he had done. He was such a bloody fool.

As if kissing the famous mudblood Gryffindor wasn't enough, he had gone and given her a second kiss. A good-bye kiss. Any hope that she would call it a fluke was gone now that he had kissed her goodbye, a move every male knew suggested something deeper.

He was filled with self-loathing.

He couldn't possibly feel anything for a bloody Gryffindor, could he? But it had been the fourth time he had seen her alone and something had happened. Not just something- she had bloody saved his life. But why? He had been nothing but horrible to her for the past six years. He was letting his guard down, going soft, but she needed to be reminded of who he was.

A Malfoy.

…

Later that night, Hermione lay awake in bed. Sleep was evading her, trapping her in her own head and her own thoughts. She couldn't think of anything other than Malfoy, and their kiss earlier that day. What had that meant? Had it just been an impulse? But then that second kiss… Draco must have realised what he was doing by then, and he had still kissed her. Hermione's heart fluttered and she had no clue why. This was Draco _Malfoy, _the boy who had tormented her for the past six years. But was she feeling something for him?

No, surely not. And anyway, he already had a girlfriend.

But he was a bloody good kisser.

Hermione rolled over and buried her head under her pillow, forcing herself to think of something, anything, else.

…

A week had passed and Hermione hadn't spoken to Draco. Whenever she saw him in class, he didn't acknowledge her, and however much she wanted to talk about their kiss she couldn't bring herself to ask him. Whatever she had seen that evening, like the warmness in Draco's eyes, was gone, and in place was the familiar snarky brat she knew and despised.

Hermione had begun going to the library late at night again, since her insomnia prevented her from getting much sleep anyway. She would tire herself out by reading, and had woken multiple times to Madam Pince's beady eyes and complaints about Hermione drooling on the books.

Anything to keep her mind off Draco.

Though she had been trying to avoid the library in the daytime, knowing there was a good chance she would run into Malfoy there, there was no way she could avoid it today. She was falling drastically behind on her homework, as she usually spent her late-night library periods researching Harry's stupid Half-Blood Prince. That book gave her the creeps similar to the ones she got from the horcruxes, but Harry wouldn't listen whenever she tried to warn him, and Ron wasn't much help. Right now they had Quidditch practice- the practices were becoming more and more frequent as the game with Ravenclaw approached and Hermione couldn't help but feel rather abandoned by her two best friends.

The library was busy, most of the tables full and the couches occupied by giggling pupils. Madam Pince sat at her desk, glaring at the kids over her cup of coffee. Hermione smiled at the familiar scene and walked straight over to the Charms sections. She found the book she was looking for quickly and looked around for a place to sit.

She frowned when she realised every spot was taken, and walked over to the back of the library where it was usually a bit emptier. She spotted a table only occupied by only one person and rushed over, setting her book down carefully so as not to disturb the stranger.

…

Draco watched her from under his eyelashes, groaning inwardly. She obviously hadn't realised it was him yet, but he did not need this. All he wanted to do was get some time by himself _without _her on his mind. Then again, this might be just the chance he needed to prove himself.

"May I ask you what in the bloody hell you're doing, Granger?" Draco asked, and Hermione jumped a foot in the air. She clapped her hand to her chest and slowed her breathing.

"Merlin, you scared me, Draco," Hermione panted, and Draco frowned. Why was she still calling him by his first name? He tried not to let it faze him.

"Good," Draco said bluntly. "Now you can go find another table with someone else to annoy, I don't want to inhale too much of your mudblood fumes." Draco let out a cruel laugh and Hermione looked stunned. She had forgotten how mean Draco could be, and it was like a punch in the gut.

"Oh, I'm sorry Malfoy, you're right- I think you've inhaled enough _mudblood fumes _for one week." Her bold suggestive comment about their kiss riled him up.

"Accidents happen, mudblood. But don't worry, I've had enough fumes to last a lifetime," Draco glared at her from over the table and Hermione matched his look.

"Yes, Malfoy, you almost had me fooled- for a second there I thought you had changed, but no, you are still snarky and arrogant and no amount of bloody good kissi-" she stopped herself and blushed. "I don't need this," she mumbled, picking up the book on Charms.

"Oi, mudblood," Draco shouted after her. She stopped but didn't look back. "Bother me in the library again and I won't hesitate to hex you." Hermione fingered her wand in her pocket and pulled it out, chanting silently in her head, and judging from the yelp behind her she knew her silent Stinging Hex had worked. She hurried out of the library, her head bent over her book, gulping back the tears that threatened to spill over.

Why was she letting Malfoy affect her like this?

…

Hermione had been dreading Potions class the entire day, and so naturally time had been moving unusually fast. Harry and Ron tried to engage her in a conversation about the Half-Blood Prince as they walked down to the dungeons, but they soon gave up when she only gave them one word answers. Her stomach was in knots, and she had no idea what to expect.

She walked into the dungeons and took a seat at her usual table. The Slytherins weren't present yet, so she set up the cauldron on her own. She followed the instructions written on the blackboard and got started juicing the Sopophorous Beans, cutting them and twisting the juice out. The beans were tiny, and she knew it would take forever to squeeze enough juice to fill the cauldron.

She gave the bean another hard twist and a drop of juice flew into her eye. She clapped her hand to her eye and looked around for some water to splash it with.

"Is there a problem, mudblood?" Hermione ignored Draco as he took the seat beside her. He looked at the beans on the table and back at her.

"Did you get Sopophorous Bean juice in your eye?" Draco asked, his voice mocking. Hermione gritted her teeth.

"Yes, I did, and do you think you could help me instead of making fun of me?" Hermione's voice was low. She hadn't forgotten what Draco had been like in the library the night before. The man seemed all over the place- one moment he was kissing her, the next he was complaining about her mudblood fumes. It was fucking with her head.

"Oh don't get your knickers in a twist, Granger," Draco said as he began chopping his own bean. "Sopophorous Bean juice is commonly used to treat eye irritation. I thought you were supposed to be smart." Hermione glared at him but removed her hand from her eye, realising that there wasn't, in fact, any irritation. He was right- she _was _supposed to be smart. How come she hadn't known that?

They worked in silence, the air between them tense. Draco watched her from the side and remembered what she had _almost _said the night before. So he was a good kisser, was he?

Hermione's eyes flitted to the side and caught him looking at her, and he quickly diverted his eyes.

"Malfoy?" Hermione asked shyly.

"Granger."

"I was… I was just wondering if you had gotten anywhere with the horcruxes," Hermione whispered, and Draco stiffened. Hermione knew what she was doing was risky- what if he hadn't been lying, and he was really keeping the horcruxes for the Dark Lord?

"What's your point, mudblood?" Draco asked suspiciously. Why was she bringing this up in Potions class, or at all for that matter? He didn't like it.

"I could help you, if you like," Hermione said. "I know some stuff that may be of use to you-"

"I don't need your bloody help, Granger," Draco hissed under his breath. "And don't you dare bring this up again-"

"Then meet me in the library at eight this night. We need to talk. And lose the attitude." Draco's balled up his fists and gave her a murderous look. Why wouldn't she just leave him alone and stop telling him what to do?

"No."

Hermione gave him an exasperated sigh.

"Well, I'm going to be down there anyway, so if you decide you've had enough of your half-wit friends I'll be waiting," Hermione said, realising it had seemed like she was just asking him to hang out with her. Draco smirked.

"You can wait all you want but I won't come."

"Whatever floats your boat, hotshot." Draco gave her an exasperated look.

"You Gryffindors try so hard to see the bloody good in people, why can't you just accept that some people are bad? That I _won't _come tonight? You people could see good in Voldemort. It's fucking annoying."

"No we couldn't, that's why Voldemort is so scary. There is no good in him." Draco considered this.

"I suppose so, but what about the people that… work… for him? The Death Eaters? You think they have good in them?"

"Well, some of them do and some of them don't. It seems the longer they have been working for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named the worse they are, like he sucks the good out of them. No people are born evil."

"Voldemort was."

"Can you stop saying his name? And no, he wasn't- it's been instilled in him, but by now it's so deep inside him it's taken over his soul. He is completely evil, I'm not saying he isn't."

"And who do you suppose 'instilled' this evil in him? He was an orphan, or didn't you know?"

"I _knew, _thank you very much. And Dumbledore and Harry are working very hard to figure that out." Draco looked surprised and his lips curled. Hermione paused her cutting. She had said too much.

"They are, you say?" Draco prodded. Hermione's eyes darted to him, wide with fear.

"I've said too much."

"No, please go on-"

The bell rang and Draco let out a string of curses under his breath as Granger leapt up and scurried out the door. He had been so close to finding out what the headmaster was doing, vital information that could save his skin at the meeting next week. He would have to look into this, definitely. Which meant he was going to the library that night, whether he liked it or not.

**Thanks so much for the Favourites and Story Alerts that you guys have given me! Some more reviews would be great, I love to hear what you guys think of the chapters and please give me suggestions! **

**I wonder what's going to happen at the library tonight. I wonder what Pansy's going to do next (the slut). **

**Guess we'll have to wait to find out.**

**xxxx,**

**malfoy-anonymous **


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks so much to Kermit 304 for reviewing every chapter and egging me on! I love you goodness gracious xx and thanks to all the people who have favourited me! **

**Read and review**

**Chapter 11**

It was 8:45, and as promised Hermione was still in the library working on her Care of Magical Creatures essay. Books were strewn around her hunched figure, and her hair was pulled into a loose and messy ponytail that she would never wear in public. The library was deserted save for the librarian, who was ignoring Hermione and working on some paperwork at her desk. The only noise was the scratching of pencils and the occasional rustling of pages as Hermione flipped through the books.

She had accepted that Draco wasn't coming around 15 minutes ago and immersed herself completely in her work, so she was surprised when the doors to the library were suddenly flung open and Draco's tall figure strolled in. Madam Pince gave him a suspicious look and watched through narrowed eyes as he sauntered up to Hermione.

"Granger," he said in greeting, and took the seat across from her. She looked disheveled, and somewhat different from her usual self. Besides the fact that her hair was pulled back from her face and her blouse was untucked, she looked… calmer. Simple. Unguarded. There was a healthy flush to her cheeks and her eyes were bright.

"Malfoy." She nodded at him and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear nervously. "I wasn't expecting you."

"You invited me to come, did you not?" Draco said. Hermione nodded and looked at him. He looked haughty as ever, but also rather handsome. He was wearing a green button-down (typical) and black trousers. His hair was unkempt and a bit mussed, free of the usual gel. He pursed his lips and folded his hand under his chin, looking at her expectantly.

"May I ask why?" So he was being nice to her today. Okay, she could work with that.

"Well I think I may have an… inkling of what your… objective… with the horcruxes is-" Hermione stuttered, unsure of how to word what she wanted to say. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Spit it out, Granger."

"If you are trying to destroy the horcrux I can help you," she blurted out, and quickly looked away from his angry eyes.

"Why do you Gryffindors always have to go sticking your nose into everyone's fucking business?" What the hell? What was she doing? He had to remind himself to keep calm if he wanted to coax more information on Dumbledore's whereabouts from her.

"Does that mean I'm right?" Hermione looked at Draco with hopeful eyes. Draco hesitated a second too long and Hermione's face split into a grin.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Hermione laughed, punching her fists into the air. Draco gave her his best scowl and Madam Pince shushed her from her desk.

"Fine, mudblood, you finally put your brain to the task and figured it out," Draco said. "What do you know about… destroying horcruxes?" He couldn't believe his ears. Had he just accepted help from a mudblood? Then again, it felt good to know he wasn't alone in this task. Also, the mudblood might have valuable information on the blasted things, since he hadn't been able to find anything himself. Hermione gave him a smug smile.

"Okay, there are only two ways to destroy a horcrux that I know of," Hermione started, resting her elbows on the table. "Fiendfyre, which is cursed fire-"

"I know what bloody Fiendfyre is, I'm not an idiot-"

"-and basilisk venom. That's how we destroyed the diary, with a basilisk fang."

"And what about Dumbledore and Potty?"

Hermione looked surprised. "What about them?"

"Are they… are they looking into this at all? You mentioned something about them in Potions."

Hermione blushed. "Dumbledore and Harry are working on… something, but I can't tell you what. It's not my information to share." Draco frowned at her in frustration. So she was going to make this hard, was she?

"Is that why you're always alone? Potty abandoned you to go play with Dumbledore?" Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not here to discuss Dumbledore and Harry with you, and I would appreciate it if you called him by his name," Hermione said, and Draco laughed.

"Not likely. Is that all you wanted to tell me? The stuff about the horcruxes?"

"Well, there was something else," Hermione's blush deepened and Draco couldn't help notice that it was rather attractive. "About… the other day…" Draco groaned inwardly. Not this.

"That was nothing, Granger," Draco snapped, cutting her off. "I was ill, and a little delusional, and mistakes happen." Hermione's face drooped.

"So it meant… nothing, to you?" Hermione asked, giving him one more chance.

"No."

"Oh," Hermione huffed, but she composed herself quickly. "Well then, about the horcruxes- the only basilisk fangs I know of are still in the Chamber of Secrets, and we can't open it without Harry, so unless you want me to tell him about…" Hermione trailed off and Draco nodded.

"Well then, we'll just have to put our heads together and sort this out, won't we?"

"So we're working on this together?" A small smile played on Hermione's lips and Draco rolled his eyes.

"Yes, mudblood, and I'd rather you not make a big deal out of this," Draco said.

"I'd rather you not call me mudblood, but life isn't fair," Hermione pointed out, but her tone was light. Something about the fact that Draco wasn't running away from her screaming or hexing her in an angry fit of rage made her happy, like she was making progress.

"Fine, _Hermione_," Draco said, and despite the taunting edge to his voice her name sounded lovely coming from his lips. "And don't tell Potter or Weasley about this or I won't hesitate to _obliviate _them, it's not something I want getting around." Hermione nodded and pulled a thick hardcover book out of her bag. She pushed it across the table towards him.

"Read."

Draco looked at the faint lettering on the cover. _A Complete Encyclopedia of the Darke Arts and Where to Find Them. _Draco cracked the book open and began to read.

…

The pair read in silence late into the night, and if either of them were uncomfortable with the arrangement they didn't say.

"Miss Granger."

Hermione looked up and jumped when she saw Madam Pince's hooked nose in her face. Draco fought to keep a straight face as she composed herself.

"Hello, Madam."

"I'm afraid I must request that you and your… acquaintance, clear out of the library. It is nearing midnight and I must close up." The woman didn't look at Draco, but he didn't mind. He and the librarian had never been particularly chummy.

"Of course, Madam Pince."

"And goodness gracious, girl, clean up your mess."

"Of course."

Madam Pince gave her a curt nod and walked away. Hermione and Draco began cleaning the mess they had made on the table.

"Did you find anything?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"No, but I found out a lot of other things I would have preferred not to," Draco shuddered. "Those Inferni are some creepy shit." Hermione grimaced and nodded.

"You didn't happen to come across Graphorn, did you?" They kept up the conversation as they finished cleaning up and left the library, comparing their results of the research session, but once they were in the hallway the conversation seized and the air turned tense.

"Well… er, it was a pleasure helping you," Hermione said uncomfortably, fidgeting with the bag slung over her shoulder. Draco rolled his eyes and chuckled, and Hermione cracked a smile at his unusually carefree demeanour.

"Oh sod it, Granger, I have no idea why you're helping me but it can't be a 'pleasure' for you." Draco said, and a genuine smile graced his face. He had no idea why, but he had actually enjoyed reading with her in the quiet of the library. It had felt like an afternoon well spent. "But thank you anyway."

"You're welcome," Hermione said. "How about you try to finish the _Complete Encyclopedia of the Darke Arts _and I'll work on _The_ _Untold Secrets of Dark Magic_?" Draco nodded and shuffled his feet.

"So… same time next week?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded and they stood there awkwardly for a second.

"Well, goodnight then," Hermione said.

"Yeah, goodnight," Draco said, and before he could turn to leave Hermione stood on her toes and pecked his cheek. She smiled at him and waved goodbye before bouncing off in the opposite direction of the dungeons. Draco watched her go, the spot on his cheek where her lips had been a second before tingling.

He had enjoyed the evening in her presence.

She hadn't been unbearably annoying or asked too many questions.

They had made plans to meet again.

He had let her kiss his cheek.

Draco was scared out of his wits.

…

"Hermione, get your bloody cat off of me," Ron grumbled, shoving the orange ball of fur off his lap. Hermione laughed and pulled the cat into a hug.

"You should be flattered," Hermione said, scratching the cat behind the ears. "Crookshanks doesn't like many people." Ron and Harry laughed. They were sitting in the Gryffindor common room and Hermione was realising just how much she had missed talking with her two best friends about things other than Quidditch and Harry's meetings with Dumbledore.

"Crookshanks doesn't mean any harm, does he? Do you Crookshanks? No you don't, you're a cute little-" Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. Today Hermione had been acting abnormally cheerful, and though they weren't complaining, they were rather curious.

"Hey, 'Mione," Harry began, and Hermione paused her petting of Crookshanks to look at him. "Has something… happened lately?"

"No, why?" Hermione lied, a blush creeping to her cheeks when she thought of the night before in the library. Harry and Ron noticed.

"Oh come on, Hermione, you can tell us," Ron urged. Hermione sighed.

"I have no idea what you boys are talking about, but if something _did _happen you know I'd tell you about it." Another lie. Harry didn't look convinced but Ron was already on another topic.

"Doesn't look like Ginny and Dean are doing all too well, huh?" Ron said happily, motioning towards the quarrelling pair on the couch. Ginny stood up angrily and yelled something at Dean before stomping away. Ron watched with a smug smile and Harry looked torn between worry and happiness.

"I never liked that bugger," Ron murmured, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Oh Ron, you shouldn't be one to judge," Hermione said, resuming her petting of Crookshanks. "Like you have much experience in the relationship department."

"Not for lack of trying," Harry said, giving Ron a subtle nudge. Ron shot him an annoyed look.

"Well, if you're desperate enough Lavender's crush has been blossoming, or so I hear," Hermione gave Ron a suggestive smile, causing his ears to turn crimson.

"No, I think he's got his eye set on another girl," Harry said, swallowing a laugh.

"Oh, how come I haven't heard of this before? Who is it?"

"Oh, well-"

"Harry," Ron cut him off angrily.

"Oh, come on, Ronald, tell me who!" Hermione grinned. So Ron had his eye on a girl, did he? She hoped to god it was Lavender-that girl and her fantasies were even worse than the Patil twins.

"Oh, piss off, 'Mione," Ron said, standing up and avoiding her eyes. "It's no one, Harry is lying." Hermione opened her mouth to say something but Ron was already marching away. She turned her confused glance to Harry.

"What's up with him?" Hermione asked.

"Lovesick."

"You're not going to tell me who she is, are you?"

"I think she'll find out soon enough."

**I'm not going to lie, I had actually forgotten all about Crookshanks! He had to make a comeback, even if it was a subtle one. I hope this doesn't make me a disgrace to the Harry Potter fandom.**

**The next chapter is going to be good, hopefully I'll have it up by tomorrow! **

**xxxx,**

**malfoy-anonymous**


	12. Chapter 12

**Aaah I'm so sorry guys, I meant to update with this chapter! Forgive me :$**

**Willowcloud: Thanks so much! That means a lot **

**Kermit 304: I love how you tell me what you think is going to happen, and I think you'll find this chapter interesting!**

**ObsessedReader525: Thanks, and don't worry- I don't plan on stopping anytime soon **

**Read and review!**

**Chapter 12**

The room looked the exact same as it had two weeks previous, besides the fact that the throne at the head of the table was already occupied when Draco came in. Voldemort watched indifferently as Draco took the seat beside him, knitting his hands together in front of him.

Voldemort hissed something under his breath and Nagini slithered up beside him, perching on top of the cobra armrest and facing Draco. Draco knew this was a subtle threat, and willed his hands to stop shaking.

His parents once again sat across from him, but this time his father looked nervous, while Narcissa looked downright insane. Her eyes were flitting all over the place and she was murmuring to herself quietly. Draco took a deep breath and looked at the Lord expectantly.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Voldemort rasped. "I believe we should begin this meeting with something we have all been… _waiting _for." Voldemort gave Draco a sick smile. "Draco, please begin."

"Well," Draco began, hoping nobody could hear the tremor in his voice. "I believe Dumbledore and Potter have been having meetings in their spare time. And it may have something to do with you, I think they may be looking into your past-"

"Do you think or do you know?" Voldemort interrupted.

"I only think, my Lord," Draco said, and Voldemort hissed.

"Well that won't do, will it? How did you come by this information?"

"Oh, I…" Draco stammered, keeping his eyes on Voldemort's long bony hand as it moved slowly towards his wand. "I followed Potter."

"How often have they been meeting?" Voldemort's eyes flashed.

"Every week, my Lord," Draco said, thinking of how often Hermione had been going to the library.

"And you have no idea of what they have been doing at these meetings?"

"No, my Lord."

"Do you have any other information to give me?"

"No, my Lord."

"Now, that won't do." By now all the Death Eaters were leaning forwards in their seats, listening carefully to the conversation. Voldemort grasped his wand and pointed it at Draco lightly.

"_Crucio."_

Draco clamped his mouth shut as the searing pain shot through him, lighting his bones on fire. Voldemort laughed wickedly when a scream escaped his mouth, and jerked his wand away.

"Next time you will have sufficient information or I will do worse. _Crucio." _This time Draco's screams filled the room. None of the Death Eater's flinched, and Narcissa Malfoy was staring fixedly at the wall.

"Yes, my Lord."

…

Hermione was making her way down to the library. She was rather excited to see Draco again, and she had found something in _The Untold Secrets of Dark Magic _that might be useful. She had just left the Gryffindor common room when she heard loud footsteps behind her.

She jerked around and was relieved to see it was just Ron.

"Hey, Ron," said Hermione casually, leaning against the wall.

"Hey, 'Mione. Where are you headed?" Ron smiled.

"I was just going to ask McGonagall a Transfiguration question," she said, figuring if she told Ron where she was actually going he would want to accompany her. He nodded and leaned against the wall beside her.

"Why don't you just take a break from homework, Hermione?" Ron asked, and Hermione frowned. Her, take a break from homework? Besides when she was researching for Draco, the thought was ludicrous.

"Why on earth would I do that?" Hermione asked.

"Well, maybe you want to spend some time with people."

"Oh, but you and Harry are never around," Hermione said sadly.

"Well, maybe we would be if…"

"If?"

And suddenly she was being pressed against the wall and someone's lips were on hers. She was too stunned to do anything. The kiss was sloppy against her unresponsive mouth, a lot of slobbering and amateur licking. The tongue pushing past her lips was slimy and wiggly, wriggling around her mouth in a very un-arousing manner. It took her a second to realise the fingers running through her hair belonged to Ron.

She pushed Ron off of her and fell back, hitting her tailbone on the floor. She moaned and stood up gingerly, rubbing her back. Ron was looking at the floor, his entire face a burning crimson.

"Hermione-"

"What the fuck."

Hermione wasn't trying to be mean, she just honestly didn't know what else to say. Why was Ron, her best friend, kissing_ her? _What did this mean? Had she been the girl all along? She had been so stupid, and now that she thought about it, her actions over the past week could very well have been interpreted as flirting. Oh god, she had been so stupid.

"Ron, look-"

"No, Hermione. No. I get it," he began, his voice harsh. "You don't want me to kiss you, that's fine. You lead me on for no reason, that's fine. You're fucking with my feelings, it's all good."

"No, don't-"

"But why do you keep pushing me away? Can't we… give this a try?" Hermione looked at him sadly and his face darkened.

"Fine. Why don't you go prance off to wherever you've been hiding these past few weeks…" he choked on his words.

"Oh, Ron…"

"No, it's fine, really," he muttered, and he turned around and jogged off, past the portrait hole towards the Quidditch pitch. Hermione watched him go and buried her head in her hands, but only one thought ran through her head.

She hadn't pushed Draco away like that.

…

Draco hadn't really been in the mood to meet with the Gryffindor mudblood that evening, but he figured he needed help with his project more than ever at the moment. Also, arguing with her was always a fun way to blow off some steam- it was so easy to rile her up. But here he was, right on time, and she was nowhere to be seen. Did she really have the nerve to blow him off?

He waited for another ten minutes and began to get angry. Where in Merlin's name was she?

Another five minutes passed and finally he heard the familiar sound of the library doors opening and Hermione walked in. She looked upset and tired, and when she took the seat across from him she didn't acknowledge him, choosing instead to stare into space.

"Oi, mudblood, what the fuck took you so long?"

Hermione looked at him with wary eyes.

"I'm not really in the mood today, Malfoy-"

"I asked you a question."

"Well, it's none of your business-"

"Of course it's my bloody business!" Draco said, and though he didn't really care about where she had been, it was satisfying to see that familiar angry spark in her eyes. "I was right on time, I _waited _for you like some bloody Hufflepuff-"

"You made me wait for _you_ last week! Where were you then?"

"I was debating whether or not to meet up with the bloody famous Gryffindor mudblood, that's where I was!"

"Yeah? Well why would I tell you anything if I'm just a Gryffindor mudblood?"

"Because I have a right to know!"

"Okay, mister bigshot-"

Ah yes, this was lovely. The leftover anger from the meeting earlier that day was being relieved, and he felt a million times better. He watched her as she yelled, zoning out her words and concentrating on her. Her hair was wild today, and a button on the top of her blouse had popped off when she was waving her arms around at him. He watched for a moment as the tops of her breasts shook with her jerky movement, and his oin twitched. Beneath the anger in her eyes, though, was grief, and this troubled Draco. His eyes dropped to her lips, which were moving wildly but were rather… puffy. Sore.

"Granger, who kissed you?" He smirked at the expression on her face when she paused her ranting, like a deer caught in headlights.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Hermione, standing up straighter and crossing her arms. Draco rolled his eyes.

"That doesn't fool me, come on, who was it?" He was genuinely curious, but there was something else… like a little annoying nudge at the corner of his mind. It was a foreign feeling.

Hermione diverted her eyes and mumbled something.

"Speak up, Granger."

"Ronald," Hermione said, and as soon as his smirk broadened she regretted telling him.

"Weasel finally caught a girl? Makes sense it's you."

"Oh Draco, don't be like that." At the mention of his name, his face softened a bit and he looked at her awkwardly.

"So are you… going out now?"

"Oh god no, it was all a horrible mistake," said Hermione, and she slid down the bookshelf to sit on the floor and burry her face in her hands. "Poor Ron, I had no time to think and I was so mean…" Draco didn't know what to do, so he sat down on the ground across from her and watched her. He was feeling something close to relief at her words, and for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was joy at Weasley's suffering.

"If it makes you feel any better, my life is pretty messed up too." When Hermione removed her hands from her face to looked at him curiously, he saw a tear trail down her cheek. He swallowed and looked away.

"Well, as you probably know, I have some connections with the… Dark Lord," Draco said. "And he isn't too… pleased with me right now. It's hard on everyone, me, my family… it's all pretty messed, up everyone is in danger because of me." Draco didn't know why she was telling her this, but it felt great to get it off his chest. Hermione watched him and gave him a small smile.

"Draco, I don't believe for one second you would make a good Death Eater." Draco looked at her angrily, a retort on the tip of his tongue, but she held up her hand.

"You aren't evil, Draco. You can be mean, and spiteful, and more than a bit prejudiced, but there is no evil in you. I can see why the Dark Lord would be a bit… harsh, with you. You have too much to lose. Your family, your wealth, your… innocence. Everything the Dark Lord doesn't have. But I wonder, why are you trying to destroy horcruxes if you are working with the Dark Lord?"

"Maybe my loyalties lie elsewhere," Draco says quietly, and Hermione nods.

"Exactly."

They are both silent for a minute.

"Draco?"

"Hermione."

"We… well, we obviously both have a bit on our minds, and it feels… good to talk about these things with someone other than Harry and Ron. Do you think we could do this… more often? Kind of like sessions, no judging, and everything said in the session stays in the session?"

Draco thought about this. It really would be nice to talk about all the things bothering him to someone other than the idiots he called friends, but was it worth it? To be meeting with a mudblood Gryffindor? To tell her things he told no one else?

"I think that could be arranged."

Hermione beamed at him.

"So… every week on Wednesday?"

"Yes, I think that could be arranged."

**Looks like we found out Ron's little not-so-secret secret, huh? And let's hope Draco finds some dirt on Dumbledore before it's too late.**

**xxxx,**

**malfoy-anonymous**


	13. Chapter 13

**The first part of this chapter is a bit sloppy, but I like the ending! Also, the events in this chapter do not coincide with the actual book. Marine76, this is for you! Sorry it took me so long to write!**

**Jadepowell and ****LadyNorth76**: Thanks so much, that's so sweet! I hope you like this chapter, too

**Thanks to all the people that pointed out my mistake with Chapter 12, sorry about that! I fixed it so that it's the right chapter now.**

**Chapter 13**

"Hermione dear, I'm afraid I must ask you and your acquaintance to leave the library, I am closing up. And goodness gracious, girl, clean up your mess."

Draco looked up just long enough to see Madam Pince marching away before returning to the book in front of him.

"Come on, Malfoy, let's clean up," Hermione said, nudging his arm. Draco looked up at her and nodded. After establishing that these 'sessions' weren't going to work (it was much too awkward, and Draco couldn't resist taunting her about every little thing- not that she had expected any less) they had gone back to researching horcruxes in silence. This suited them both just fine, though it was infuriating that they weren't making any progress on the research.

"Agh-" Hermione bumped her knee on the wooden table, sending the huge encyclopedia she had been holding flying into Draco's shoulder. He fell back with a yelp and clamped his hand to his shoulder.

"Ah! What the fuck, Granger? Why are you so fucking clumsy?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Draco," Hermione said, kneeling down beside him and touching her fingers lightly to his shoulder. He recoiled from her touch and gritted his teeth.

"I think it's dislocated thanks to you, clumsy bitch," he said through his teeth, rolling his shoulder experimentally and wincing. Hermione frowned.

"I said I was sorry. Let me take you to the Medical Wing…"

"I don't need your help, mudblood." Hermione flinched. Draco hadn't called her that in a week, not even in Potions class when they were surrounded by his Slytherin friends, but she should have known it was too much to hope that he had forgotten the word altogether.

"No need to use that word-"

"What? Mudblood? You shouldn't be ashamed of your heritage, Granger-"

"Shut up, Malfoy! Shut up! Do you want me to take you to the Medical Wing or not?" Merlin, how she wanted to slap that smirk right off his face.

"No. And don't tell me to shut up, mudblood."

"I'll tell you to do whatever I want to, if you keep calling me that." She looked at him angrily, waiting for his next retort, but it never came. He was watching her quietly again, just sitting there looking at her with his arm dangling uselessly by his side, and suddenly she couldn't stand it.

"Go, Draco. Just go."

Malfoy stood and glared at her as he organised his bag and marched out of the room, swearing under his breath. Hermione watched him go angrily. They had been getting along so well after they had both confessed their problems, and then he just had to go and ruin it, and this was what made her so angry.

…

She allowed herself to be moved with the Gryffindor crowd as they made their way towards the common room, screaming and whistling. Fred and George had Ron on their shoulders, and were chanting the Gryffindor version of Weasley is our King.

Weasley can save anything,

He never leaves a single ring,

That's why Gryffindors all sing:

Weasley is our King.

Everyone joined in, and the crowd tumbled through the entrance way to the common room in song. Someone turned on the stereo immediately, much to the delight of the excited crowd, and Fred and George disappeared for a second before returning with their arms full of Butterbeers. Someone thrust a mug into Hermione's face, and she took a delicious sip. She sat on an armchair and watched the celebrations, smiling to herself. It really had been a spectacular Quidditch game, even if she didn't particularly like the sport, and though Ron and her had barely spoken a word the last few weeks she couldn't help but feel proud of him.

She watched as Fred and George set off a few wizard firecrackers in the corner, laughing when one began attacking Ginny. The next one they set off paused in the air for a second before hurtling towards Lavender, who shrieked and stumbled away laughing. She ran straight up to Ron, who put his arms around her protectively without thinking.

Hermione froze.

Ron and Lavender looked at each for a split second before Lavender jumped on him, crushing her lips to his. Ron wrapped his arms around her tighter and lifted her off her feet, swinging her around. They attacked each other with ferocity, sucking and grasping each other's face for a good minute. Some people paused to watch and more than a few cat called. Fred and George were already off to the side imitating Lavender and Ron by swinging each other around, much to the amusement of the crowd.

But Hermione wasn't amused one bit. The original shock had worn off and most people had gone back to celebrating, but Hermione watched as Ron swung Lavender into her arms and carried her up the staircase to his dorm without breaking the kiss. Lavender let out a squeal of excitement and then they were gone.

Right at that moment Fred and George produced a few bottles of Firewhiskey. Hermione snuck out of her chair and snatched one from behind their backs, taking a swing gratefully. It burned down her throat and Hermione sighed in contentment. Though she couldn't fully process what she had just seen, she had a hollow ache in her stomach that meant the pain was coming soon, and she knew when it did it would hurt like hell.

The familiar sound of the portrait hole opening carried over the noise of the Gryffindors and the room fell silent as Harry stepped through. The hope was clear on his face as he took in the party. He had been at detention with Snape during the game, and Hermione knew how much he had regretted not being able to see it. The room erupted into noise, people shouting at him and cheering and then another chorus of Weasley is Our King. Harry's face split into a grin and he laughed, clapping some of the people near him on the back. Hermione saw Ginny laughing as well, caught up in the celebrations, and when she spotted Harry from across the room Ginny broke into a run. She shouted his name with a grin and then launched herself at him.

Their lips met, and they both attacked each other with a hungry eagerness. The cat calls started up again, though Fred and George didn't join in this time. They kissed for several minutes, oblivious to their surroundings, and when they finally pulled back Harry whispered something to her and they climbed out of the portrait hole together, grinning like fools.

It was then Hermione realized how alone she was. Her two best friends in the world now apparently had girlfriends, who would only subtract from the minimal time she had with them. Ginny, the only other person she could really talk to, was one of the girlfriends. Dean, Seamus and Neville were all Harry and Ron's friends, and therefore were only tolerable when Ron and Harry were there. She absolutely could not stand Pavarti and Padma, so she didn't even have her dorm room as a quiet place to mope and wallow in self-pity.

And who was to blame? Her.

She had pushed Ron away, and egged Ginny on, and refused to make any friendly move towards anyone. Why couldn't she just be a normal girl? Why couldn't she just be content to talk about mundane things like lip gloss and boys all day long? Because she was Hermione Granger, that's why- the bookish, frizzy haired girl with a boring face and an even more boring personality.

She needed to get out, needed to breath, but when she stepped out of the portrait hole into the empty empty hall, the loneliness was only more potent, to the point it was suffocating. She stumbled up a staircase, gasping and crying and clutching the bottle of Firewhiskey to her chest, and she thanked the heavens she didn't run into anybody. Though, would it really be such a bad thing if she did? At least then she wouldn't be alone.

She found herself in the owlery, and without thinking she removed a piece of parchment and a pen from the bin beside the door and scribbled out a shaky note. She found the nearest owl, a brown speckled little thing, and tied the note to its foot. She whispered the instructions in its ear and it flew off. Hermione didn't watch it go, instead stumbling down the stairs and all the way to the library, where she collapsed right beside the door and curled up into a ball, sobs racking her body and the bottle of whiskey slowly filtering out of the bottle and staining the smooth white floor.

…

The anger was thick in the air of the Slytherin common room. They had lost yet _another _match with Gryffindor, and Draco was angry at everyone, but especially himself. He had let that fucking twat _Potter _snatch the Snitch from right under his nose, and this infuriated him more than anything else.

It didn't help that he was currently being attacked by Pansy, who was licking and kissing his neck in a desperate attempt at the angry sex that usually took place after he lost a match. He had given up on his attempts to shoo her away, and had instead taken to ignoring her completely.

"I'm going up to my dorm," Draco mumbled, and Pansy looked excited. She bounced up and stood in front of the chair he was lounging in expectantly, making sure to stand so that her chest was pushed out.

"_Alone." _Draco said with a bit more venom than intended. Pansy's face drooped and she watched him go with a defeated expression. He thumped up the stairs and, when he reached his dorm room, collapsed onto the bed appreciably. Finally, quiet in which to be angry and break things, if needed.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Draco almost let out a scream of frustration as he moved slowly off the bed and towards the window where the noise was coming from, sure he was going to see the familiar jet black Malfoy owl pecking eagerly at the grimy window. He was surprised to see one of the brown Hogwarts owls, a parchment tied hastily around his foot.

Draco shoved open the window with his shoulder and let the bird hop onto the windowsill. He untied the parchment from its leg and the owl gave him an affectionate peck before flying back out into the night. He unrolled the parchment apprehensively and read the short note, his eyes growing narrower by the second.

_Draco, I need to talk to you because I need your help and also you might be my only friend. I will be by the library. Please come._

_-Hermione_

The writing was shaky and some parts were smudged with what he could only imagine to be tears, but when he rustled the page it let off the faint aroma of Firewhiskey. Draco frowned deeply and pocketed the note before rushing out of the dorm room and slipping out of the common room, unseen.

He slunk down the hall, ignoring his previous method of not sneaking around, but halfway to the library he met a complication.

Snape.

He was walking down the hall, his black robes swishing behind him, and he spotted Draco immediately. His mouth curved into a mocking grin.

"Why hello there, Mr Malfoy," Snape said, approaching him rapidly. Draco knew he had been at the latest meeting, so his smile seemed to be mocking his failure. Draco smirked at him.

"Mr Malfoy is my father. My name is Draco." Draco said, but Snape's taunting smile stayed in place.

"So, _Draco, _may I ask what you are doing out here late at night?" Snape was close to him now, and he reached out and grabbed the collar of Draco's shirt, lifting him up until his face was level with his.

"It is my job to protect you, young man, and I ban you from walking around after hours. You have no idea the things that go on in this castle at night." Snape's smile turned wider, showing all of his teeth, and his eyes glinted maliciously. Draco looked away, disgusted, and Snape let him drop to the floor with a thud.

"We wouldn't want people to think you're… _up, _to something, now would we?" Draco didn't have time to ponder what he meant by this. "Go back to your common room and pretend to enjoy yourself, Draco. And stay there. Next time I might just give you a detention… or worse." Snape waited and watched as Draco stood and brushed himself off. He gave the professor one last glare before stalking back down the hall. When he turned the corner he immediately jumped behind a suit of armor. He only had to wait a few minutes before he heard the familiar clacking of boots, growing fainter as Snape walked away.

Draco let out a deep breath and then continued down the hallway, taking the longer and winding way to the library in the opposite direction Snape had gone.

He was just around the corner from the library when he heard a distinctive feminine whimper, followed by a strangled gasp. His heart rate sped up and his palms slickened. One thought ran through his head. _Hermione_.

Hermione, who of all odds happened to be in the library that night. Who of all odds stole his bag and discovered his secret. And who helped him, even though she had no idea why he needed it. Who, even though he had been nothing but cruel to her for the past six years, seemed to enjoy his company. And for some reason, he seemed to enjoy hers just as much. Maybe it was the fact that she always had a comeback to his biting remarks, or the spark in her eyes when she argued with him, or the way her hair fell around her face when she was bent over a book.

…_you might be my only friend…_

Well he'd be damned if he let a friend down.

He quickened his pace and turned the corner, spotting her immediately. She was curled up in a ball next to the big oak doors, lying in a puddle with an empty bottle of Firewhiskey beside her. The air smelt heavily like alcohol and tears. Hermione looked up slightly when she heard Draco's footsteps, and the sight made his heart stop.

Her hair was plastered to her forehead, from the whiskey on the floor or her own tears he didn't know. Her face was shiny with sweat and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. The puddle made her clothes cling to her figure and her mascara to run down her cheeks. She looked so… broken, and it was hard to remember that this was Hermione Granger, feisty queen of the Gryffindors.

"Dra-co," she managed to gasp out before resting her head on her arm again. Draco took a seat beside her.

"Hermione, what happened?" he whispered. He gathered her slowly in her arms and brought her to his chest. He didn't mind that the alcohol on her clothes was staining his expensive trousers or that she blowing her nose in his shirt. All he thought about was her, and her shattered expression, and he didn't even think to be scared.

"I'm all alone," Hermione hiccupped. "Harry and Ron have… _hiccup… _girlfriends and…_hiccup… _I don't even have friends… _hiccup… _because I'm nothing but mudblood bookish Granger…_hiccup…_" Draco could feel his heart breaking as he listened to what she was saying. It was him that made her feel like this- him that had called her a mudblood, just earlier today, and taunted her for reading and called her Granger, like she wasn't worthy of being called by her first name. It was he that had pointed out she was alone, that Potter and Weasley had left her. He felt like hexing them both to the moon for doing this to her, and like hanging himself from the topmost tower for making her cry.

"No you're not. You're not," Draco said, patting her hair. Hermione looked at him questioningly. "I was… wrong. I was so wrong. You're not bookish, you're fascinating and intelligent. You don't deserve to be called a mudblood. And you aren't alone… you have me." Draco mumbled the last part- no matter what situation he was in, even with Hermione sitting on his lap in a puddle of Firewhiskey, he could feel his pride deflating as he admitted attachment. Hermione was quiet for very long, just fingering the buttons on his shirt and hiccupping gently.

"Thank you, Draco," Hermione said, and she stretched her neck to plant a kiss on his jaw. Draco turned his face and caught her lips with his instead. He kissed her slowly and lightly- no tongue, just innocent and soft. She kissed him back and reached up to run her fingers through his hair, pulling at the silky strands.

He pulled away and she smiled, leaning into his chest. He realized she wouldn't be fit to go back to her common room anytime soon, so he muttered a spell under his breath and the whiskey on the floor and on her clothes disappeared.

"Draco, what-"

"Go to sleep," he muttered, he snaked his arms around her as she let out a sigh. She closed her eyes and Draco thought of the first time he had seen her asleep, under entirely different circumstances, but she looked just as beautiful. A different kind of beautiful, though. Before she had been chaste and virginal, a pure beauty. Now, with the light from the stain glass windows glinting off the tear stains on her cheeks, she was a broken, heart-breaking beautiful.

He fell asleep to the sound of her measured breaths, the taste of whiskey lingering on his tongue.

**Read and review!**

**xxxx,**

**malfoy-anonymous**


	14. Chapter 14

**I really don't want Draco to be one of those mushy-gushy-pussy boyfriends, but I couldn't see anyway to get around that in this chapter! Don't worry, Draco isn't letting his guard down just yet. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Chapter 14**

"And you have no idea what he's been researching?" Crabbe and Goyle shake their heads. "Well, where is this bag?"

"He always keeps it on him. Look Pansy, we want to know what's going on with him just as much as you do," Goyle says, leaning back on his bed. "If there's a way to get on the Lord's good side, it would be ratting out the Malfoy heir."

"Well then, we'll need a plan, won't we?"

…

When Hermione awoke, the first thing she noticed was the smell in her nose, a kind of peppermint, woodsy scent mingled with the sharp tang of alcohol. Next, she felt the rough rustle of cotton against her cheek and realized the uncomfortable position she was in- curled in a ball but with her leg jutted out at an awkward angle. She yawned and sat up, stretching her arms. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and looked to the left, jumping with fright at the sight of the sleeping figure. The events of last night were a bit fuzzy through the fog of Firewhiskey, but she remembered enough.

Draco had come to save her, and had rocked her to sleep and stayed until the morning. Draco, who looked angelic in his sleep. He really did. It was as if all his worries were forgotten- his face was free of his usual smirk or frown, his hair rumpled and his muscles relaxed. She really did like him better this way, quiet and peaceful.

She lifted her hand and gingerly stroked his face, waking him cautiously. She didn't want to take the events of the previous night for granted, as she had no idea what this morning would bring in terms of Draco's mood.

"'Morning," Hermione whispered, and Draco opened one eye groggily. He gave her a lopsided grin and reached out sleepily to brush her hair.

"'Morning," he mumbled, and lolled his head back in the hope of getting a bit more sleep. Hermione shifted off of him and stretched fully, reaching up towards the ceiling and arching her back. Draco watched her through the cover of his eyelashes and grinned to himself. He knew he had done the right thing last night. Hermione was worth it, worth the battered dignity and the danger. When he felt the sharp pang in his chest and the tingle in his groin at the sight of her, he knew he would not change a thing.

"Granger," Malfoy grunted.

"Draco."

"Your hair," he said, and chuckled. Her hands shot up to her head and fingered her hair, which was sticking up from her head at all angles as if reaching for the sky. She blushed and tried to smooth it down with her hands.

"No," Draco said a little clearer. "Don't. It looks… nice." Hermione smiled and took a seat beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Draco? ...thanks. Again," Hermione said, and Draco nodded. "So, where does this… leave us?" Hermione had never been good with this.

"Let's not think about that now," Draco said. "How about you meet me in the Astronomy tower tonight, and we can talk about it then?"

"Okay," Hermione said, and gave him a fleeting kiss before standing up again and rearranging her clothes. She could feel Draco watching her go, and she kept an elated grin on her face all the way to the Prefect's bathroom at the fuzzy feeling in her stomach.

She figured that Pavarti and Padma would still be asleep if she went back to her dorm now, and she wouldn't want to wake them up by showering.

"_Pinus Nova," _Hermione whispered to the painting of Boris the Bewildered. Boris, a fat man dressed in a red gown sitting on a throne, nods at Hermione and swings his portrait open to reveal the entrance to the bathroom. Hermione steps through and locks the door behind her.

The bathroom looks as always- all shiny and white tiles with a huge, sprawling pool-sized bathtub taking up most of the floor. She peels off her clothes and walks around the edge. She turns on two taps- one with an amethyst dug into the nozzle and one made of pearl. Purple and white water spew out and fill the tub surprisingly fast, filling the room with the scent of lavender and coconut.

Hermione sinks into the bathtub and allows the steaming water to relax her muscles. She watches her legs float in front of her and leans her head back to wet her hair.

She is not troubled, not one bit. All of her worries from last night, about Harry and Ron and Ginny, have been erased and replaced with the memory of Draco's lips, his hair and the silky feel of his skin. She replays the events of the night before, and her thoughts stray to the time outside of her dorm, when he kissed her for the first time. She remembers the way he bit her lip and the feeling of his supressed erection pressing against her leg.

There is a tingle between her legs.

She reaches down and strokes her clit, moaning slightly. She fantasises about Draco as her hand gets faster and faster. She rolls her nipples between her fingers and pulls on her hair, straining for the release of the growing tension in her abdomen. She imagines him whispering in her ear, pulling on her hair like she is now, and she sticks a finger inside of herself. She thinks of him jerking off while thinking of her as well, and finally she lets go, emitting a long, drawn out groan. She slumps back against the tile and tries to catch her breath, but the tingle between her legs is still there. If she goes to meet him tonight like this, who knows what she'll do. Oh god.

She rushed through her shampooing and soaping, and left the Prefect bathroom in a rush. Pavarti and Padma would be waking up soon, and she wanted to be there when they did, so as to avoid any questions. She enters the common room but immediately slinks into the shadows when she realises who is occupying it.

"It feels… weird, not as good as I thought it would be but still better than jerking off, you know?" Hermione almost gagged, and thankfully managed to maneuver unseen around the table where Ron was talking to an eager Harry. So he and Lavender had done it, then? She was happy to find she didn't really care.

Pavarti and Padma were indeed asleep when she got to her dorm, and she happily changed into pajamas and settled under her covers, slipping into a comfortable slumber.

…

_Unnnh._

Draco paused mid-step and edged a little closer to the portrait of Boris the Bewildered, behind which the Prefect bathroom was hidden.

_Ughh._

There it was again. A definite, familiarly feminine moan. Draco stays frozen.

_Euunhh._

There a pause and then one last moan, loud and drawn out. Draco can feel himself getting hard. He knows exactly who it is behind the portrait this early in the morning, and the though brings a gloating smirk to his face. He would have to help her with that sometime.

….

"Nothing happened last night?"

"_No, _Ginny," Hermione sighed, rubbing her face. How many times would she have to lie before Ginny believed her?

"Because I thought…" Ginny blushed. Hermione raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, you and Ron were both gone from the party…"

"So was Lavender," Hermione snapped. "Believe it or not, your brother's not a virgin anymore." Ginny's eyes widened.

"Thanks for the mental image," Ginny said sarcastically. Hermione knew she was being a bit mean, so she took a deep breath and forced a smile onto her face.

"What happened with you and Harry?"

"Oh, we just walked around a bit," Ginny said, biting her lip to keep from grinning. "And we're going out now."

"Great! That's… great." She frowned inwardly at the lack of enthusiasm in her voice, and she knew Ginny noticed.

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing, Ginny. I'm fine." She glanced at her watch and realised it was 6:30- Draco hadn't specified a time, but she wanted to be there as soon as possible. The butterflies in her stomach were getting worse with each passing moment.

"I have to go."

"Fine," Ginny huffed, and stalked away from the couch. Hermione watched her go sadly, but she knew Ginny would get over it. She always did. She walked over to the portrait hole, and as she was reaching for the doorknob it swung open.

Ron and Harry stepped through, laughing and clapping each other on the backs. Hermione felt a pang of sorrow- she was usually there, laughing with them. Hermione had been careful to avoid them the whole day. Ron understood where she was coming from, but she knew Harry had no idea why he was involved in this. She did feel bad for this, but it pained her to see him and she just couldn't bring herself to talk to him.

They stopped laughing when they saw her and watched as she climbed angrily out of the common room. She ran down the hall, eager to get to the Astronomy Tower and as far away from her pain and guilt as possible. She climbed the 100-something stairs and took a seat by the window in the empty room to wait.

…

Draco did not know what he was going to say, but he didn't let that faze him. He was Draco Malfoy. He had wooed hundreds of girls, after all.

When he got to the highest tower, he spotted Hermione immediately, sitting by a window and tracing shapes in the condensation. Draco cleared his throat and Hermione snapped her head around.

"Oh hey," Hermione smiled. Draco gave her a small smile and took the seat next to her. He looked at the drawing she had made with her fingers and scrunched his nose.

"What is that?"

"Oh," Hermione looked at the doodles as if surprised. "I uh… I didn't realize what I was drawing. I guess it's… you?" She sounded nervous, and when Draco looked closer he saw it was indeed a fairly good interpretation of him with his signature smirk.

"You flatter me, Granger," Draco said, and Hermione blushed and let out a nervous giggle.

"Draw something."

"What?"

"Look." Hermione took a deep breath and exhaled onto the glass, erasing her portrait of him. She gestured towards the window. "Now draw." Draco looked at her warily and edged a bit closer to the window before bringing a finger to the window. He drew a quick picture and then looked at her. Her lips parted slightly as she took it in.

"Is that…?" Draco had drawn a picture of a girl with a mess of curly hair and a boy embracing. Draco smirked and raised his eyebrows.

"Do you like it?"

"I do," she breathed, watching as the painting slowly faded back to fog. "I don't want to run away anymore." She said suddenly, glancing at Draco to gauge his reaction. His face was emotionless and smooth. "I… I like you, Draco, I'm attracted to you. I can't deny that. And if you are, too, then…" She trailed off.

"Then? Then what? We can't be public about this. I have a reputation to maintain with the Dark Lord and you do, too."

"Maybe we can keep it private." Draco thought this over.

"I think that could be arranged." Hermione smiled at the familiar words from the library, and leaned over to kiss his forehead. "But don't expect me to be a mushy boyfriend, Granger. No sweet nothings."

"So romantic," Hermione said sarcastically, and leaned over awkwardly to rest her head on his chest. She wasn't too good with these relationship things, but she tried not to let it bother her. They were quiet for a few minutes.

"Which is Draco?" Hermione asked, looking out of the window. Draco studied the sky for a second before pointing to a star in the north.

"There."

"It looks like every other star."

"Maybe it's better that way." Draco said, and Hermione looked at him curiously. "There are too many different things. People are different. Snowflakes are different. Every footprint and every fingertip is different. But stars? They all look the same from here."

"Sometimes different is good. Sometimes things are different and you don't even know."

**Read and review! It would be great if in reviews you gave me suggestions...? And I also love hearing what you think is going to happen!**

**xxxx,**

**malfoy-anonymous**


	15. IMPORTANT: A NOTE

I will be putting a pause on the writing of this story so that I can start on my new one, Words and What Come With them._  
_


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